If there has even been a time where we need to pay more attention to the planet and how much damage we are causing, it is right now. Acciona is a platform that’s continually contributing to the wellbeing of the planet by creating solutions for the most concerning issues today, like global warming, water scarcity, etc.

Since being fully established in 1997 by José Entrecanales Ibarra and Manuel Távora, Acciona has taken big steps into providing our planet with different solutions to big global problems.

Through the years, Acciona has focused on renewable energy, resilient infrastructures, and water management and treatment. Thanks to Acciona’s innovative approach, our beloved Earth, and we, as a society, will enjoy the benefits.

José and Manuel had a vision that turned into reality with a lot of elbow grease put in. The motivating story behind Acciona is one for the books, so keep reading to unveil it.

Budding Years

Born in Bilbao, Spain, on December 16th, 1899, José Entrecanales Ibarra, knew from a young age that he didn’t want to pursue the same career path as his father, a pediatrician. Once he turned sixteen, José moved to Madrid to start his studies at the school of engineers of paths, channels, and ports.

Three years later, José began his university studies to become a civil engineer. Although he loved his university life, it was cut short. In 1921, the conflict between Spain and Morocco began and José was transferred to Malaga to join a battalion. He was part of the conflict for about a year, and after that, he had time to go back to Madrid to finish his studies.

Finally, in 1924, José received his bachelor’s degree in engineering and immediately went back to Seville where he started to work at the port of the city. He had a couple of jobs here and there, but ultimately, he left them all to create his own company.

Taking Action

From the moment he finished his studies, José went back to his hometown to work at the port of the city. There he would be hired by Eugenio Ribera to work as an engineer and builder. In 1924, he was part of the team that built the San Telmo Bridge in Seville. By this point, José had already known Manuel Távora, and worked with him on a daily basis, bouncing around ideas for creating their own construction company.

In 1931, José and Manuel founded the construction company called Entrecanales y Távora, which is the actual pillar of the company Acciona is today. Sadly, not long after the company was founded, in 1940, Manuel passed away, and José took over the company. Over the next decade, Entrecanales y Távora would be involved in various projects including the expansion of the Madrid-Barajas Airport, the Atazar dam in Madrid, the Banco de Bilbao in Madrid, and many other big constructions.

In the 1950s, the company also contributed massively to the industrialization plan of Spain.

During all of this, José was also a teacher at the Higher Technical School of Civil Engineers, Channels, and Ports of the Polytechnic University of Madrid. In 1957, José asked the university for a leave of absence, so he could focus more on his company.

In the 1960s, José was approached by the Franco Government to participate in the River Basin Management Plan, which was created to alleviate the drought that hit Spain in the period.

Accompanied by several engineers, José was able to build the highest dam in the world at the time, in just two years. José also was part of building seven out of the eight existing nuclear plants in Spain. For his dedicated and professional work, José was awarded multiple honors such as the Grand Cross of the Civil Order of Alfonso X the Wise, the Grand Cross of the Order of Civil Merit, and the Grand Cross of the Imperial Order of the Yoke and Arrows.

From the Past into the Future

The company was created from the merger of Entrecanales y Tavora and Cubiertas y MZOV in 1997 in Madrid, Spain. Once the company became official, it started its journey to create a better planet.

Acciona has always followed its three pillars of growth which are infrastructure, energy, and water. One of the biggest changes that Acciona went through was back in 2005 when the company changed its initial logo to the one we know today, cementing its image as a pioneer in sustainable development.

Before entering the field of bettering the future, Accione had faced many blows of competition coming from companies like Metito, Guangzhou Devotion Thermal Technology, and SACYR, among others.

Some of the major projects that Acciona was part of include the El Museu de les Ciències Príncipe Felipe in Spain, the German Chancellery in Germany, the Alqueva Dam in Portugal, the King Abdullah University Hospital in Jordan, the El Palau de les Arts Reina Sofía in Spain and many, many more.

There have been some setbacks over the years, with the latest being Acciona suing the New South Wales State Government for $1.1 million, claiming that they have minimized a fair amount of subterranean utility works when it came to building the CBD and South East Light Rail.

The Only Way Is Up

Kohlberg Kravis Roberts and Acciona partnered on the 14th of June 2014. On June 24th, 2014, Acciona raised €417 million from Kohlberg Kravis Roberts. On April 10th, 2020, Acciona raised €445 million from investor AXA Investment Managers.

In February 2020, the board of directors at Acciona came out saying that they have intentions to float its energy division on the stock market. With this move, they plan on giving more visibility to the strategic business line, reducing capital costs, and strengthening the balance sheet. As of April 12th, 2021, Acciona set the Acciona Energia IPO’s price between €26.73 and €29.76 per share. On the same day, the board of directors also authorized placing a minimum of 15% to a maximum of 25% of the share capital of ACCIONA Energia.

Acciona, Today

Today, Acciona’s headquarters are located in Alcobendas, Madrid, where CEO José Manuel Entrecanales, and vice president Juan Ignacio Entrecanales Franco operate from. The company also holds a US headquarters located in Chicago, Illinois, for all US operations. Today, the company employs well over 30,000 people located in 30 different countries, spanning 5 continents.

For any other company in the world, regardless of which industry it belongs to, 2020 was a difficult year, following the global pandemic. Acciona has always been a company that has faced global challenges head first. Through the adversities brought upon the pandemic, it became clear that now is the best time to act in saving our planet and of course, build and manage a better society. Acciona has faced adversity before, and now is not the time to stop.

Over the years, Acciona has gathered numerous awards for its contribution to sustainable solutions. Some of the awards that Acciona has garnered under its belt for its projects are Brisbane Lord Mayor’s 2012 Award for ‘Business Innovation’, Sydney Light Rail named ‘Best Finance Deal’ in Australia & New Zealand at the 2015 Finance Asia Achievement Awards, and Legacy Way Tunnel named ‘Project of the Year 2015’ by Infrastructure Partnership Australia, among many others.

People say that the sky's the limit, but for Acciona, that just isn’t enough. With improvements being made each year, the company will only get bigger and will contribute to the planet’s well-being even more.

Wind turbines, dams, bridges, and many more projects are on their way, and we can’t wait to see more from Acciona taking action for a better tomorrow.