ACCIONA introduces low emissions recycled steel in its works to cut emissions by 40%

ACCIONA will reduce by 40% the carbon footprint using low-emissions circular steel in the renovation and expansion of Son Sant Joan airport in Palma de Mallorca (Spain), awarded to the company last year.

One of the main materials for this project is corrugated steel, of which 7,000 tonnes will be required. ACCIONA regarded the ability to offer a low-emissions product, in line with the company's sustainability commitments, as a decisive criterion in the selection of the supplier. CELSA Group was the chosen company to supply this material, which will have a circular and low-emissions origin.

The entire process to ensure the material’s sustainability consists of several phases. Firstly, the authorized manager in charge of the demolition and management of the ferrous waste from the old Palma airport terminal will process these metals at its facilities in the Ses Veles industrial park and supply them to CELSA Group.

Once this material has been received, CELSA Group will produce the corrugated steel using electric arc furnace technology, powered exclusively by electricity from renewable sources. Finally, ACCIONA will receive this steel and use it in the construction of reinforced concrete structural elements in the refurbishment and expansion of the new terminal.

In this way, two fundamental sustainability objectives are achieved. On the one hand, it advances circularity in the use of materials, as the steel that is obtained during demolition will return to the airport in the form of material to be used in its renovation and expansion. On the other hand, this achieves a reduction of more than 40% of the emissions associated with the product compared to the average of steel mills with similar technology in Spain. In addition, using this type of steel avoids the release of over 1,900 tonnes of CO2 emissions from the equivalent use of a conventional product.

This measure is aligned with ACCIONA's position as a provider of sustainable infrastructure and renewable energy solutions, in the spirit of the various initiatives it carries out to reduce emissions linked to its supply chain. Moreover, it is directly linked to similar ACCIONA initiatives to reduce emissions in construction works with the use of low-emission green concrete and steel as well as the implementation of other measures such as the use of electric machinery, local raw materials and renewable energy in other projects.

The increasing use of sustainable construction materials is part of the company's 2025 Sustainability Master Plan, which includes the implementation of a "zero-carbon" model in its corporate purchasing policy.

 

DECARONIZED ECONOMY

ACCIONA offers sustainable infrastructure and renewable energy solutions worldwide. The company's business strategy is aligned with the activities that the European Union's Taxonomy for Sustainable Activities identifies as key to a decarbonized and sustainable economy. Therefore, in 2021, 93% of ACCIONA's eligible CAPEX was aligned with the demanding requirements of this standard.

ACCIONA has adopted comprehensive targets for reducing direct and indirect emissions in its activities, which the Science-Based Targets initiative (SBTi) considers to be consistent with the goal of limiting the global increase in temperature to 1.5ºC, in line with the Paris Agreement. In 2021, its Scope 1 and 2 emissions were reduced by 19% and its Scope 3 emissions fell by 28% compared to benchmark 2017 levels, all in line with these science-based commitments.

The company has extensive experience in airport works. In Spain, it was responsible for the construction of the terminal building for the Adolfo Suárez airport in Madrid, the new runway at Malaga airport and the new terminal at Alicante airport. Abroad, it has carried out projects such as the runway for the new Western Sydney International Airport (Nancy Bird Walton) in Australia, the air traffic control tower for the new airport in Lima (Peru) and the expansion of the Fiumicino airport in Rome. The company also provides handling and other airport services at various international airports.