ACCIONA, JEC World 2016 Award for the first lighthouse made from composites in the world

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 The prize, which will be handed over in Paris on March 8th, recognizes the innovative design and construction of the new lighthouse in Valencia. It is the first in the world to be completely built with composites.

The construction solution developed by ACCIONA Infraestructuras, based on a design by the Director of Infrastructure of the Port Authority of Valencia, Ignacio Pascual, means that lighthouses can be built in a manner that is faster and more sustainable and environment-friendly thanks to the use of composite materials, which are lighter and more resistant. This technique reduces construction periods by more than 40% and avoids around 20% of the pollution associated with the construction of these infrastructures using the traditional method.  

ACCIONA has built this 32-meter-high lighthouse and also put it into service. It is supported by a structure that is completely manufactured from composite materials specifically developed in the R&D Center of ACCIONA Infraestructuras to provide better resistance to corrosion due to exposure to the maritime environment. They also require less maintenance work and the environmental impact of the construction is reduced.

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The construction process involves less interference with port activities, as all the parts were assembled in the ACCIONA Infraestructuras facility in Noblejas. Once assembled, they were transported by road to the port of Valencia, where they were installed on their definitive site.

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The lighthouse also incorporates 9 solar panels and a small wind turbine to supply energy to it.

Due to the construction and assembly methodology and the savings in time and costs involved, the solution developed by ACCIONA can be applied to almost all existing lighthouses because it can be adapted to structures of different sizes. It is also particularly suitable for the construction of lighthouses in places that are isolated or are difficult to access, because the materials are light and easy to transport.

ACCIONA is a pioneer in the use of composite materials for a range of infrastructures, e.g. footbridges, bridges or breakwaters. In fact, ACCIONA Infraestructuras has won this award on three previous occasions, recognizing its leadership in the implementation of composites in construction and civil engineering: first in 2011 for the Almuñécar Footbridge (part of the Madrid Río project), the second in 2012 for the footbridge over the river Jucar in Cuenca, and the third in 2015 for developing the first building façade panel with biological composites within the framework of the European R&D project ‘Biobuild’. 

These awards join the European Business Award for the Environment​ in the Product and Services Award for Sustainable Development category, awarded in 2014 by the DG Environment of the European Commission for the project to expand the port at Puerto del Rosario (Fuerteventura) with composite caissons.