Spain’s commitment to renewable energy may be in doubt

On the edge of the sleepy town of Figueruelas, a single, vast wind turbine spins around, casting its shadow over the buildings nearby.

It’s a reminder of the importance of renewable electricity in this windswept area of Aragón, in north-eastern Spain, whose plains are host to many of the country’s wind and solar energy farms.

Figueruela’s status as a symbol of Spain’s green transition has been further boosted recently, as work starts nearby on the construction of a vast factory that will produce batteries for electric vehicles.

Chinese firm CATL and the Netherlands-based Stellantis are investing a combined €4bn ($4.7bn; £3.5bn) in the facility. Yao Jing, China’s ambassador in Spain, described it as “one of the biggest Chinese investments Europe has ever seen”.

Luis Bertol Moreno, mayor of the town, says the area was a logical choice for the project.

“We’re in Aragón, where there’s wind all year round, there are lots of hours of sunshine, and we are surrounded by wind turbines and solar panels,” he says.

“Those [energy sources] will be crucial in generating electricity for the new factory, and I understand that was the key reason for building it here in Figueruelas.”