Aragon is advancing with a long-term energy strategy aimed at consolidating its position as a European benchmark in renewable production and digital industrial hub.

In a scenario of geopolitical transformation and green transition, the region has successfully capitalised on its renewable potential to attract record investments and develop a plan consistent with national and continental objectives.

In 2024, it produced 19,445 GWh of electricity, of which 88.8% came from renewable sources, consolidating one of the cleanest mixes in Spain. It registered an internal demand of 9,994 GWh, meaning it generates twice as much as it consumes, reaffirming its condition as a net energy exporting territory.

With these volumes, Aragon contributes more than 7% of the entire national electricity production and positions itself as the second region in wind generation, with 11,458 GWh generated solely from wind, behind Castilla y León.

“We are committed to a diversified energy mix, with a strong focus on distributed generation and storage,” says Pedro Machín, president of the Aragon Energy Cluster (CLENAR), in conversation with Strategic Energy Europe.

From sources such as wind, photovoltaic solar, and green hydrogen, the region seeks not only to decarbonise its economy, but to turn clean energy into a competitive advantage to attract industry and employment.

The energy mix features a strong predominance of wind energy, representing 52.3% of the total generated. It is followed by photovoltaic solar (18.9%), hydroelectric (17.4%), and to a lesser extent, cogeneration (5.8%) and combined cycle (4.8%), which has seen a decline of over 50%.

Attracting investments and data centres: a new economic axis

In recent years, Aragon has managed to position itself as one of Europe’s most attractive destinations for high energy consumption technological and industrial investments. In fact, the president of the regional government, Jorge Azcón, has announced that the community will end the year with €50 billion in accumulated investments, a figure that reflects the scale shift the Aragonese energy ecosystem is undergoing.

“Everyone is turning their eyes to Aragon,” states Machín, highlighting that the region has become a multi-sectoral hub — from data centres to logistics and automotive — thanks to the competitiveness of its renewable energy.

The installation of data processing centres is one of the most dynamic elements of this process.

Companies like AWS, Microsoft, Blackstone, Box2Bit, Benbros, and ACS have already started developing strategic projects in the region.

As CLENAR’s top executive points out: “The data centre industry is undergoing an unprecedented global expansion, and Aragon has already established itself as one of its key enclaves in Europe.”

The ability to offer secure and competitive access to sustainable energy has become a key factor in attracting this type of investment.

However, this also brings new challenges, and Machín highlights: “One of the main ones is to guarantee a secure and sufficient electricity supply, which is why accelerating investments in grid infrastructure is crucial.”

The renewable rollout and the arrival of electro-intensive industries involve a reconfiguration of energy demand.

According to the Aragon Energy Plan 2024–2030, data centres will consume approximately 50% of the region’s total electricity demand by 2030.

To anticipate this trend, the Aragonese Government has worked in coordination with Red Eléctrica Española (REE) and the Ministry for Ecological Transition and Demographic Challenge (MITECO) to design the next five-year network expansion plan.

There, territorial proposals are being incorporated aiming to strengthen the system’s resilience and scalability.

Contribution to European energy independence

The current geopolitical context has put energy security back at the heart of the European debate. In this context, Aragon is positioning itself as a key piece in building a less fossil-fuel-dependent Europe.