ACCIONA: A Sustainable Future Through Digital Transformation
When it comes to infrastructure, few companies can match the scale and ambition of ACCIONA. The Spanish multinational has become a global leader, with operations spanning from wind farms in Australia to water treatment facilities in North Africa.
At the heart of ACCIONA's growth is a commitment to sustainability that spans every aspect of its operations, as Mark Opitz, Group Head of ICT for ACCIONA’s Australia and New Zealand region, explains. “We invest in, develop and operate sustainable infrastructure solutions. And when we talk about sustainable infrastructure, we’re talking about solutions from design and construction (D&C), right the way through to operations and maintenance (O&M). Whether that's a wind farm, a toll road, a tunnel, a railway, or a solar farm, our objective is to improve people’s lives and make our planet more sustainable.”
With this ethos in mind, ACCIONA has taken on some of the most challenging and innovative infrastructure projects around the world. One standout example is the Western Harbour Tunnel in Sydney, Australia, which will see a new motorway built underneath Sydney Harbour. As Mark describes, ACCIONA won the contract in 2022 after leading a 12-month redesign process that dramatically improved the project’s environmental credentials.
“This revised design has reduced the concrete required to build it by 27% and reduced the steel required in the structure by 75%. The sustainability impact was well north of a 50% increase in emissions savings.”
The original plan called for precast concrete segments to be dropped into a dredged portion of Sydney Harbour, but ACCIONA presented an alternative innovative solution for the US$5bn project. “Our redesign involved using a tunnelling machine to go underneath the Harbour rather than laying the roadway, significantly reducing impacts on the environment and surrounding community. That's a redesign we worked on for 12 months with the client to get this outcome, which is more cost-effective too.”
ACCIONA reimagining infrastructure development with sustainability at its core
As projects like this highlight, ACCIONA's approach is to reimagine infrastructure development with sustainability at its core and to collaborate closely with clients to achieve better outcomes.
However, ACCIONA's reach extends far beyond tunnels and roads, with the company having positioned itself as a pioneer in renewable energy – particularly in the burgeoning Australian market. Mark highlights the MacIntyre Wind Farm which ACCIONA designed, constructed, owns and operates.
“We're in the final stages of completing one of the largest wind farms in the Southern hemisphere. The MacIntyre Wind Farm will power 700,000 homes. This is a massive step forward in decarbonisation and renewable energy. It’s having a huge impact on the industry in Australia, enhancing our capability and capacity to generate clean energy. We also have an aggressive growth pipeline in the energy sector in Australia.”
This diversification into renewable energy has represented a pivot for ACCIONA, positioning it to capitalise on a growing global demand for sustainable power solutions.
Water infrastructure is another key focus area, with ACCIONA leveraging its engineering expertise to address water scarcity issues worldwide. The company is “a leader in water treatments and desalination,” Mark notes, pointing to ongoing projects like a 300 mega-litre-per-day desalination facility in Perth, Australia.
“We've constructed and are now operating and maintaining a similar-sized facility in Adelaide,” he explains. “We have multiple treatment facilities across Australia, and we're working closely with major providers in the water treatment space.”
Investing heavily in digital transformation
To truly lead in sustainable infrastructure, the team at ACCIONA knew they needed to harness the power of technology to drive efficiency, improve quality and improve project outcomes.
The construction and infrastructure sector has traditionally lagged behind other industries in terms of technology adoption: posing challenges for Mark and his team to overcome.
“The sectors in which we operate – mostly construction and energy in Australia – are typically not leaders in technological investment, nor are they rapid adopters of technology. We see that as a huge opportunity.”
ACCIONA has seized this opportunity by investing heavily in digital transformation initiatives. Mark and his team have implemented a strategy to standardise processes, centralise technology procurement and leverage data analytics across all its projects.
One of the key pillars of this strategy is the creation of a standardised technology blueprint for all projects,” Mark explains. “We have a 100-day plan to mobilise projects and a fully centralised technology procurement process. No project in our company procures technology independently anymore.”
Construction businesses, Mark highlights, are notorious for lacking a centralised technology procurement process, with shadow IT in these projects often comprising a significant portion of their IT expenditure. By centralising and standardising its technology approach, ACCIONA aims to reduce inefficiencies, improve knowledge transfer between projects and ultimately deliver better outcomes for clients, communities and the environment.
For ACCIONA's internal teams, this approach means greater consistency and efficiency as they move between projects. “As we transform this environment, projects become more portable, reducing disruption for staff members and increasing their confidence as they move between projects,” Mark says. “They know what they're doing – having done it before – and are familiar with the software and work methods. They now also have access to accurate, timely and relevant information, enabling them to make better, quicker decisions and achieve high-quality outcomes for clients.”
Powering ACCIONA’s transformation
Central to ACCIONA’s digital transformation is a robust in-house technology team. Unlike many companies in the infrastructure sector that heavily rely on external vendors, ACCIONA has built up significant internal capabilities. Mark’s team in the Australia and New Zealand region alone comprises around 200 staff and specialist contractors, with a mix of highly skilled architects, software development teams, project delivery specialists and on-site support personnel.
“Our team’s rich and diverse experience, combined with a relentless passion to perform, is the perfect combination to support ACCIONA in innovating and delivering sustainable outcomes for our clients.” This in-house expertise allows ACCIONA to be more agile and responsive when it comes to dealing with large-scale infrastructure projects.
“We are in a phase of our evolution where we have a heavily insourced technology capability,” Mark adds. “The partners working with us that add value – allowing us to manage costs, be responsive and get technology out to construction projects quickly.
“We embarked on a very ambitious software development journey about three years ago, where we invested in something that today connects our construction sites to the rest of the business in many ways; capturing events, recording transactions, automating data integrations from suppliers and equipment – all enabling more efficient handling of information and enabling construction teams to make better decisions faster.” According to Mark, this venture into bespoke software offers a major competitive advantage and is the source of many things to come for ACCIONA. “From data science and AI, to larger scale automation and predictive tactics, this approach will deliver even more sustainable outcomes.”
While ACCIONA has built up significant in-house capabilities, it recognises the importance of collaborating with key technology partners to support its digital ecosystem.
“We heavily use Logitech hardware for Teams calls and collaboration, and we've come a long way with the Logitech team. We've been working with them for about four or five years, and we've got one fully standardised fleet in our region which is delivering amazing results.”
Among ACCIONA’s other key partners are Schepisi Communications, Vocus Group and some key software services; Bentley, RIB Software and Aphex, each bringing unique expertise to support ACCIONA’s diverse project portfolio.
A recognised leader in innovative mobility solutions, Schepisi Communications’ expertise in designing and implementing whole-of-business solutions helps ACCIONA maintain a seamless connection to teams across its various project sites and offices. 3D Safety contributes to ACCIONA’s commitment to workplace safety and efficiency through its workforce management application. Vocus Group, with its extensive 25,000km fibre network and access to Starlink satellite services, ensures ACCIONA has access to high-performance and secure network solutions critical for managing large-scale infrastructure projects. Bentley Systems, RIB Software and Aphex contribute to various stages in effective planning and delivery of the design and construction phases of major projects.
Mark also mentions other crucial partnerships. “We have procurement, sourcing and logistics support from a company based out of Sydney called Astron Technology. They're well known in the construction industry in Australia and they support us with the agility we need through high-volume managed services, while looking after portions of our environments as well.”
Cloud infrastructure is another critical component of ACCIONA's technology strategy, enabling the scalability and agility that our businesses require.
The future of ACCIONA’s digital journey
However, the company's digital transformation journey is far from complete. Mark sees significant opportunities on the horizon, particularly in the integration of Building Information Modelling (BIM) with other business data. “The convergence of BIM data with the rest of our business data hasn't even really started to happen yet. A few of the biggest providers in the world are starting to talk about it now and that is underpinned by real digitisation. When that happens, all sorts of cool things are going to start happening, and that'll be the source or the root of automated construction.”
By investing in digital capabilities now, ACCIONA is positioning itself to capitalise on emerging technologies that could revolutionise how large-scale projects are planned, executed and managed.
The company’s success demonstrates the importance of having a clear, sustainability-focused vision, highlighted by Mark’s approach to breaking down silos within his team.
“Everything we think of, do, plan and execute is hinged around a no-silo approach,” Mark says. “So, when it comes to diagnosing a problem, solving a problem, investigating, deploying, managing change, all those aspects are done as a team. And when it comes to our cross-functional teams, IT is connected to every single one of them every time, all the time.”
As the world grapples with the twin challenges of ageing infrastructure and climate change, companies like ACCIONA, that deliver sustainable solutions at scale will be increasingly in demand. By combining engineering expertise with digital innovation, ACCIONA is not just building infrastructure – it's helping shape a more sustainable future.
And looking ahead, Mark is optimistic about ACCIONA’s prospects. “If I was to summarise our future, it's nothing other than exciting. It's backed by solid demand and growth and a roadmap into the renewables and sustainable construction space.
“The demand internally from the business just continues to grow. And the more we deliver, the more demand we get. This evolving cycle of trying to refine the experience of the team to focus on a smaller set of priorities and de-prioritise initiatives is one the biggest challenges, and that's a good problem to have.”
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