Acciona

The story of Acciona begins not as a single entity, but as a convergence of Spanish construction firms with deep roots. The modern company was formed in 1997 through the merger of two major players: Entrecanales y Távora, founded in 1931 by José Entrecanales Ibarra and Manuel Távora, and Cubiertas y MZOV, itself a product of earlier mergers with origins stretching back to 1862. Initially focused on major infrastructure projects in Spain, the company played a significant role in developing the country's high-speed railway network. A pivotal shift occurred as the company, now named Acciona, began a strategic pivot towards a new, high-growth sector: renewable energy. This transformation was significantly accelerated in the early 2000s with the acquisition of a major stake in wind farm operator, Corporación Energía Hidroeléctrica de Navarra (EHN), which Acciona gained full control of by 2004. This move marked a clear declaration of the company's future direction, moving beyond its traditional construction base to become a global force in sustainable energy. The most significant financial event in its recent history was the Initial Public Offering (IPO) of its energy subsidiary, Acciona Energía, in 2021. The listing on the Spanish stock exchanges was the country's largest IPO in six years, valuing the energy unit at over €8.8 billion and providing a massive capital injection to fuel its global expansion in renewables. Today, led by Chairman and CEO José Manuel Entrecanales, a descendant of the original founder, Acciona operates as a global conglomerate in infrastructure and is one of the world's largest pure-play renewable energy companies.