Omexom Turned a Funicular Track into a Renewable Energy Source, Making Mobility More Sustainable

Commitment to carbon neutrality means rethinking every square meter of public infrastructure, and the city of Bilbao is doing just that. Its latest move: embedding solar energy directly into the track of a century-old funicular, powering nearly 70% of it from renewable sources, without altering the urban landscape.

Historic public transport like the Artxanda Funicular presented a particular challenge: how do you reduce its carbon footprint without compromising safety, disrupting service continuity, or changing the character of the city around it?

The funicular operates on a fixed, narrow track with limited space and strict mechanical and climatic demands. Any energy solution would need to work within those constraints, not around them.

In August 2025, the Bilbao city council inaugurated an innovative solar installation on the Artxanda Funicular, following a successful tender awarded to Omexom through its subsidiary Tecuni, part of VINCI Energies Spain. Completed within four months at a cost slightly exceeding €73,000, this pilot project demonstrates the feasibility of renewable energy production without compromising the urban landscape or the safety of existing infrastructure.

Solar panels were installed on the station roof and on the foundations of the bridge supporting the funicular. Notably, composite solar modules were positioned directly between the rails along a 25-meter section of track, providing an installed capacity of 2.7 kWp. This configuration represents a first in Spain. The modules, designed by the Basque company Izpitek, utilize high-yield N-type cells engineered to withstand the site’s mechanical and climatic stresses.

The overriding challenge throughout was to maintain safety and continuity of service. Finding a manufacturer capable of designing modules that fit the limited space between rails and supports added another layer of complexity.

The electricity generated is fed straight onto the funicular network, yielding about 71 MWh, around 70% of its yearly consumption. Nobody has taken any type of land to continue to use less: the energy is produced completely within existing structures.

For Celestino Gómez Paez, the result was clear: “This initiative confirms our commitment to implementing sustainable energy solutions that offer an innovative response to the needs of the community and its environment.”

The Artxanda project illustrates the convergence between technological innovation and urban transition. The integrated solar modules open up new possibilities for decentralised self-consumption, a model that will be essential to meeting the targets set by the 2024/1275 European Directive, which stipulates zero-emissions public buildings from 2028 onward.

For Tecuni and Omexom, this is a point of reference for future infrastructure projects across Spain. The Basque capital is showing that historical public transport can be a model of sustainability, combining technology with visual appeal and respect for the environment.

Following this success, Tecuni is already testing self-supporting vertical modules and pedestrian solar installations, confirming Bilbao as a powerhouse of innovation for sustainable energy.

This article is also published on The Agility Effect, a VINCI Energies publication, where you can find more stories on energy innovation, sustainability, and expertise from across Omexom and the VINCI Energies network.