Arctech has opened a new facility in the La Nava industrial park, in Puertollano. its first photovoltaic test park in Europe, conceived as an experimental field to validate and demonstrate new solar technologies and comparable to photovoltaic solar park in Rincón de los BoyerosThe facility was launched with an initial investment of nearly one million euros and a growth plan that anticipates exceeding 5 million euros within a five-year timeframe.
The opening ceremony was attended by clients, company staff, and institutional representatives, including the mayor of Puertollano and members of the Government of Castilla-La Mancha, who highlighted the strategic nature of the project for the energy transition and for the reindustrialization of the city, traditionally linked to the energy sector.
A pioneering park in Europe within a global R&D network
Arctech's new testing ground in Puertollano is part of the company's international strategy, which plans to deploy seven similar parks spread across different continentsFollowing the launch of this European center, the company plans locations in the United States, Saudi Arabia, India, Brazil, Australia, and China, creating a coordinated research and verification network of photovoltaic solutions.
The company emphasizes that the Puertollano facility is designed as a technological leader in terms of size, product diversity, and level of collaborationIt is not just a field for testing solar trackers, but a complete environment for testing equipment, storage systems, photovoltaic housing solutions and new plant configurations.
Francisco Salinas, a member of Arctech's global R&D team, emphasized during the inauguration that the park is the result of the collaborative work of the company's international teams and that It aspires to become one of the most advanced projects in the European photovoltaic sector.The idea is for Puertollano to function as a testing ground and showcase for developments that will later be replicated in other markets.
In addition to the industrial component, the facility is conceived as a space intended for generate scientific knowledge of international scopeThe test field, with an experimental power of around 1 MW, will allow collect data under real operating conditions and validate designs before large-scale deployment.
Collaboration with technology centers and universities
One of the distinctive features of this project is its extensive network of partnerships. The park will work in close cooperation with ISFOC (Institute of Concentrating Photovoltaic Systems)ISFOC, an agency of the Government of Castilla-La Mancha, will be a key technology partner. ISFOC will be responsible for monitoring, advanced maintenance, and field operations.
Along with ISFOC, other specialized entities participate, such as the Polytechnic University of Cartagena, CPP, ISC, the Fraunhofer Institute and various international organizations. These institutions will be able to install and evaluate their own solutions in the park, while Arctech will benefit from independent validation and knowledge transfer from the academic and scientific community.
This dynamic transforms the facility into a shared ecosystem: promoters, manufacturers and developers of technology They will have the opportunity to observe Arctech's various solutions in operation, compare configurations, install prototypes, and analyze performance in real-world settings. In this way, the park is configured as an open demonstration platform for the entire solar sector value chain.
Furthermore, the project joins seven other research programs coordinated by ISFOC in the region, with a total investment exceeding €13 million. The physical proximity of these initiatives generates synergies in applied research and in the development of new photovoltaic products, reinforcing the weight of Castilla-La Mancha as a hub of innovation in renewables.
Three strategic areas within the test park
The infrastructure of Puertollano has been organized into three major areas of actiondesigned to meet the diverse needs of the current and future solar sector. This division allows for a clear separation of product trials, commercial demonstrations, and collaborative initiatives.
The first area is oriented towards energy storage systems and batteriesas well as portable solutions and self-sufficient homes powered by solar energy. This space will be used to test self-consumption configurations, integrated home modules, small off-grid systems, and pre-assembled photovoltaic house concepts, with the aim of developing replicable models for different markets. An example of the application of self-sufficient homes and communities is the experience of the first Mediterranean island to be powered solely by renewables.
Secondly, the park has an area specifically dedicated to support equipment and solar trackersThere, all types of trackers that the company sells or has under development are tested, analyzing their performance under wind, structural loads, different module designs, and varied weather conditions. This information is key to optimizing durability and energy performance, as well as to addressing the technological challenges of the sector.
The third area functions as open space for future collaborative projectsIt is designed to host new R&D initiatives, industrial pilot projects, third-party product testing, and joint demonstrations with international partners. This flexibility will allow the park to adapt to technological trends in the sector without being limited to its current configuration.
Taken together, this three-axis structure transforms the facility into a large-scale laboratory where both the technical challenges —efficiency, reliability, network integration— and the practical applications in housing, industry and isolated systems are addressed.
Advanced training, demonstration and verification center
Beyond technological trials, the Puertollano park is destined to play a key role as specialized training and demonstration center for solar energiesArctech has planned for the installation to be open to industry professionals, customers, students, and technical staff who wish to learn firsthand how the systems actually work.
Within the premises, a Training center The program will offer courses, technical workshops, and practical sessions on solar plant design, tracker installation, operation and maintenance, storage integration, and safety in photovoltaic installations. This training will utilize equipment already installed at the park, allowing for a combination of theory and practice.
The experimental field will also act as an advanced product verification base for Europe, under the name of “Arctech Verification Base”The test results will be used to adjust designs, certify performance, and define internal standards that will later be applied to the company's projects in other countries.
Arctech intends to use this site as model for future centers on other continentsThe experience gained in Puertollano will serve as a guide for the deployment of similar infrastructure in Asia, the Americas, and Oceania. The city in La Mancha thus becomes a benchmark for the global expansion of this verification network.
Impact on employment and local industry in Puertollano
From a socio-economic point of view, the project is conceived as a investment and activity generator focusing on solar energy. In the first phase, seven R&D professionals will work permanently at the facility, joined by technical staff from collaborating entities and new hires planned as the park increases its workload.
Regional authorities have emphasized that this infrastructure can boost direct and indirect employment related to structural assembly, plant maintenance, engineering services, and industrial logistics. Furthermore, the presence of an international reference center facilitates the arrival of suppliers and auxiliary companies interested in locating near the facility.
In parallel, the Government of Castilla-La Mancha has shown its willingness to expand the industrial land of the La Nava industrial parkWith an investment of several million euros in collaboration with the Puertollano City Council and the Institute for Just Transition, this expansion would facilitate the establishment of new companies linked to the photovoltaic value chain.
For the city, traditionally associated with the energy industry, the arrival of Arctech is interpreted as an opportunity to reorient its profile towards clean energyBoth the mayor and regional representatives agree that the municipality aspires to consolidate itself as a European hub for innovation and development in renewable technologies.
Castilla-La Mancha, a renewable energy hub in the European context
The choice of Puertollano as the European site for this test park cannot be understood without considering the energy context of Castilla-La Mancha. The region already has more than 16,8 GW of installed powerof which around half corresponds to photovoltaic energy, well above the state average in renewable energy share. This regional reality coincides with recent initiatives such as the authorization to create large photovoltaic projects in the Murcia area, which demonstrate the expansion of renewable capacity in the territory (largest photovoltaic plant in the region).
The Ministry of Sustainable Development highlights that these figures place the region as one of the leading examples in energy transition within Spain and the European environmentThe combination of solar resources, availability of industrial land and the presence of technology centers favors the implementation of large-scale projects.
ISFOC itself participates in seven R&D&I projects with a mobilized volume exceeding 13 million euros, which reinforces its role as photovoltaic research nodeThe integration of Arctech's testing ground into this scientific and industrial ecosystem contributes to consolidating a critical mass of knowledge and technical capabilities in the region.
The regional and local authorities insist that the arrival of international investments like Arctech's is part of a deliberate strategy: to leverage the area's renewable potential to attract businesses, to promote technological entrepreneurship and position Castilla-La Mancha in the main energy innovation forums.
With the inauguration of this photovoltaic test park, Puertollano reinforces its role as a key enclave in the new green economy, while Arctech consolidates in Europe an advanced base of verification, training and technological development that will serve as a platform for projects around the world, adding industrial, scientific and employment capabilities around solar energy.
