During the blackout last April, Spain was plunged into chaos, but there was a place that continued to function as if nothing had happened: Mercadona. The supermarket chain managed to continue providing service thanks to the fact that its stores have generator sets for situations of this type. It is proof that at Mercadona energy matters a lot, what we did not expect was to see it among the companies that buy the most energy in Europe.
Spain in the lead. Expansion echoes a Pexapark group report which details the market for long-term power purchase contracts or PPAs. In 2025, 13,100MW of electricity were sold in Europe through this system, of which Spain sold a third (3,900MW), consolidating the first position for the second consecutive year and quite far from Italy, which is in second place with 1,800MW.
The ranking. They are mainly technology and oil companies. In first place we have Amazon with around 700MW, followed by Apple with just over 600MW. In third place is Renfe, then Repsol, Galp, Shell, Energa and the most striking: Mercadona. The last two places go to Microsoft and SNCF. Among the main sellers, Iberdrola stands out in first place with around 1,100MW sold and a lot of distance over the second.
Mercadona. The well-known supermarket chain proposed to electrify its establishments and by the end of 2024 it already had a network of 5,000 vehicle charging pointsand they plan to expand it even more. In July 2025 signed a PAA contract with Iberdrolawith a total of 300MW coming from wind and solar energy. Their plans include installing up to 3,500 more charging points in 800 supermarkets. They are not very powerful chargers, but they are the largest network of EV charging stations in Spain.
PPA contracts. That Spain is at the forefront of PPA contracts (Power Purchase Agreements) has an explanation: We have more renewable energy than ever, but the system can’t handle it. The solution that the market has found is to sell it through these PPA contracts. These types of agreements ensure energy at a stable price for large clients, such as large pharmaceutical companies or technology companies that want to bring their data centers to Spain.
Images | Spades Joe, Pexels. Wikipedia
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