The Metropolitan Area of Barcelona is finalising a plan to multiply renewable energy. The roadmap includes the first metropolitan wind farm and the extension of the 'Sant Boi model' of photovoltaic covers in public car parks.
The Metropolitan Area of Barcelona (AMB) has an ambitious plan on the table to accelerate the energy transition in the region. The initiative, which will be outlined in the so-called 'Pla Clima' and whose approval is expected after the summer, has a clear objective: to significantly increase renewable energy generation in the metropolitan area by 2035. To achieve this, the AMB is betting on two major types of installations: large photovoltaic covers, especially over car parks, and the construction of three wind turbines that will form the first wind farm in the Barcelona area.
From nearly 12 megawatts peak (MWp) produced in 2026 by the photovoltaic energy installed by the AMB, the aim is to increase to 18 MWp in 2027. This amount will be supplemented, in 2030, by 6 MWp from the wind turbines, 23 MWp of biogas from waste management plants and the controlled landfill of Garraf, and 26 MWp from the energy recovery of the Tersa incinerator.
One of the key aspects of the plan is to extend the 'Sant Boi model' to other metropolitan municipalities. This concept, which has already been tested in Sant Boi de Llobregat, consists of covering large parking areas with photovoltaic pergolas. The director of the AMB's Climate Action and Energy Transition Area, Frederic Ximeno, explained that the agency has been analysing where there is the greatest potential to deploy solar energy. "We started with building covers but soon realised that covering large facilities like car parks was a great opportunity to have more energy," Ximeno said, referring to the photovoltaic pergola planned in Sant Boi de Llobregat.
The AMB believes that these solar canopies offer additional advantages: in addition to generating clean electricity, they provide shade for vehicles and reduce the temperature in those spaces, a key benefit given the current climate context. "The mindset is changing: a few years ago it seemed almost science fiction to talk about this type of cover and now, although they are technically complex, they generate more and more interest," Ximeno stated.
In addition to car parks, the AMB is exploring other locations for renewable installations, such as vacant lots. The metropolitan entity has just signed an agreement with L'Energètica, the public electricity company of the Generalitat, which can contribute to progress in this area. Solar self-consumption, biogas generation, and other systems for producing green energy will also be promoted.
Another pending issue is the installation of batteries, which are key to stabilising a system based on renewable energies. The idea is to hybridise all 'Ecoparcs', the waste management plants, with batteries, and there is even a proposal to test installing batteries attached to three apartment blocks that already have photovoltaic covers.
The plan also includes the construction of three large wind turbines, which will become the first wind farm in the Barcelona area. Although small in size, these turbines will mark a milestone for wind generation in the metropolitan area, where there has been no such installation until now.
For residents of the province of Barcelona, the deployment of these infrastructures will mean greater availability of clean energy and, potentially, a reduction in dependence on fossil fuels. Additionally, solar covers in car parks will improve comfort in public spaces during the summer months. The AMB expects the plan to be fully operational by 2030, with a renewable generation capacity significantly higher than the current one.
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