La Robla
La Robla thermal power plant was located in the municipality of La Robla in the province of León.
La Robla thermal power plant was located 25km north of the capital of the province of León. The plot where the power plant was located is in a strategic location with good road and rail communications, allowing the costs of transporting goods, raw materials and products to be kept to a minimum.
Key figures
Year commercial operations began
Gypsum, ash and slag landfill
Date dismantling started
Estimated end date for dismantling
Progress of the dismantling
- Availability of electrical evacuation point
- Availability of electrical supply
- Industrial land on the entire plot
- Good road communication
- Good rail communication, with own unloading facility
- Close to the gas network: Enagás gas pipeline a few kilometres away
- Water available
- Little or no opportunity to extend beyond the current limits of the plot
In defining the dismantling works, environmental measures and safety procedures have been considered a priority to ensure they are carried out correctly and that third parties and the environment are not affected.
The buildings and installations at the power plants feature different types and combinations of structural elements. Therefore, a combination of manual and mechanical procedures have been incorporated into the dismantling and demolition methodology, in some cases combining the two types of procedures and using explosives to carry out controlled blasting.
What does the process consist of?
- Cleaning the equipment and installations
- Vaciado y limpieza de tanques y líneas
- Emptying and cleaning the tanks and lines
- Manual work to empty and dismantle the fixtures, sorting them by type
- We carry out specific actions to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and offset our carbon footprint.
- Removing the thermal insulation
- Removing hazardous materials
- Combined demolition:
Demolition using machinery:
By pushing or pulling or using backhoes fitted with cutters to demolish the structure starting from the top and going down.
- Using hydraulic hammers mounted on mobile equipment.
- By controlled blasting to collapse structures and buildings using explosives.
- Sorting demolished materials by type, seeking maximum revaluation and recycling.
- Transferring waste to the different collection areas within the plant.
- Subsequent management according to the type of materials: inert, non-hazardous and hazardous.
- Refurbishing the plot with finishing consistent with an industrial site.
- Removal of protrusions and footings above the current level.
- Filling in holes with suitable material.
- Levelling the area.
The dismantling works carried out to date are:
All power generation installations, the electrostatic precipitators of both units and coal handling equipment (bucket wheel and belts) have been scrapped.
The two cooling towers, two chimneys and two boilers have been demolished (blasted).
Demolition work is under way on the structures and benches in the turbine units, coal hopper units and other buildings.
There are around 60 people on site working on these tasks, of which the following are locally hired:
- 6 people from the Just Transition Institute list (3of them residents in La Robla).
- 15 people from La Robla.
- 7 people from other municipalities in the province.
- Occasional participation of local companies
Projects
Three photovoltaic power generation projects, totalling 470 MW, which are expected to generate 622 direct jobs and 495 indirect jobs and 25 direct jobs and 20 indirect jobs in the operation phase.:
- Los Corrales (250 MW)
- La Serna (50 MW)
- La Pradera (300 MW)
A renewable hydrogen production plant, together with Enagás Renovable, where the production capacity will reach up to 280 MW. With an estimated investment of 485 million euros, this new plant is scheduled to come into operation in 2026. This plant will prevent more than 430,000 tons of CO2 from being emitted into the atmosphere per year, contributing to the decarbonisation of industrial processes and the development of sustainable mobility. Approximately 2,000 direct, indirect and induced jobs are estimated to be created during the construction phase, and 275 in the operating phase, also including direct, indirect and induced jobs.
Electrical storage system with standalone connected lithium-ion batteries. The aim of the project is to provide stability in the network, facilitating synchronicity between increasingly renewable generation and consumption. The battery will have a capacity of 40 MWh and a power of 20 MW. The expected job creation is 15 direct jobs during the construction phase and 1 direct job in the operation and maintenance phase.
Projects under study
The following projects to be carried out by third parties are also under study:
Roblum Project, consisting of a 50 MW biomass (forestry and agricultural) power plant developed by Reolum, subject to the biomass generation auction and obtaining the administrative authorisations.
Renewable (CO2 neutral) and manageable technology.
Ideal location (water available, connection to the electricity network and logistics).
Significant investment and sustained economic activity.
Creation of direct (construction and exploitation) and indirect (sustainable exploitation of forests) jobs.
Supplementary income for farmers in the area due to the use of agricultural by-products.
Project to reuse the desulphurisation plant, using part of the facilities (desulphurisation plant) for the manufacture of commercial materials from by-products. Full-scale testing is required and the impacts on dismantling are under analysis.
Project to convert the former residence and/or employee housing into a leisure and holiday resort aimed at single-parent and vulnerable families and minors (under study by Naturgy Foundation).
The European Commission has selected the renewable hydrogen production plant promoted by Naturgy and Enagás Renovable in La Robla (León, Spain) to receive 42 million euros from its Innovation Fund, a programme to support innovative technologies, processes and products that contribute to the European Union’s decarbonisation commitments.
This new plant, with commissioning scheduled for 2026 and an estimated investment of 485 million euros, will be located on the land where the former Naturgy thermal power plant used to stand, the definitive closure of which was authorised in 2020 and is currently in the process of being dismantled. Naturgy and Enagás Renovable have launched the Robla Hub joint venture to implement the project.
Naturgy today successfully carried out controlled demolition of the cooling towers of La Robla thermal power plant after several weeks of preparation. The operation was carried out with the maximum security measures, minimum environmental impact and rigorous compliance with current regulations. The dismantling of the plant is being carried out according to the established programme and almost 50% of the planned works have already been completed.
- Global environmental policy