Sacyr Concesiones is putting circular pavement maintenance to the test on the Autovía del Eresma (A-601). Along a one-kilometer stretch, the concessionaire has reused milled asphalt from the existing roadway as feedstock for a new surface course.

The paving works incorporate 30% reclaimed asphalt pavement (RAP) from the highway’s aged wearing course into the new bituminous mix—double the 15% currently recommended by regulations for this type of layer.

A field test with long-term potential

The pilot section, located between kilometer markers 81 and 82 in direction to Segovia, is designed to prove that today’s recycled asphalt technology can increase RAP content in surface mixes without compromising ride quality, durability or overall pavement performance.

“On this pilot section, we are cutting the amount of virgin aggregate needed in the mix,” said Miguel Ángel Moreno, from Sacyr Concesiones’ Pavements Department. “We also reduce material sent to landfill and lower the carbon footprint associated with asphalt production,” he added.

The trial will allow the team to track the mix in service, monitor its long-term behavior and assess whether the approach can be scaled to future maintenance campaigns.

“We want to see how this mix holds up in the field and whether the solution is sustainable, technically viable and cost-effective over time,” said Ángel Delgado, manager of the Autovía del Eresma.

Technology and collaboration drive the pavement trial

The recycled asphalt mix—a BBTM 11B gap-graded surface mix with 30% RAP—was manufactured at Padecasa’s plant in Aldeavieja, Ávila.

The project brings together the Regional Government of Castile and León, Sacyr’s Pavements Department, Sacyr Concesiones’ Innovation team and Padecasa. It builds on a 2024 test section that used 15% RAP, the maximum share currently recommended for this type of wearing course.

The initiative supports circular economy targets and aligns with Castile and León’s regulatory framework, which requires at least 3% of aggregates used in pavement rehabilitation works to come from recycled materials.

With pilots like this, Sacyr continues to test lower-impact road maintenance solutions that conserve natural resources, reduce waste and support more sustainable infrastructure management.
 

Our Quality and Environment Department, together with the IT Department, has developed an artificial intelligence solution that automates and optimizes the recording of energy consumption in our projects.

AI OCR Electricity automates the reading and processing of electricity bills, automatically capturing the data needed to calculate our carbon footprint.

Integrated into our CYMAE application, the tool is now available for use across all projects and countries, improving efficiency, traceability, and data quality. Since the launch of AI OCR Electricity, we have been monitoring the entire process, achieving 96% accuracy in data extraction and recording.

Its launch addresses one of the challenges identified in our 2024–2027 Strategic Plan: having reliable and traceable information on energy consumption and associated greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, facilitating more efficient, data-driven management.

Key Benefits of “AI OCR Electricity”

The in-house development of AI OCR Electricity generates direct benefits for Sacyr, improving operational efficiency, data quality, and our scalability. Among its main advantages, we highlight:

1. Financial Return and Operational Efficiency

• Rapid return on investment, with an estimated payback period of less than two years.
• Reduced costs and processing times thanks to the automation of invoice processing.
• Greater technological autonomy, reducing dependence on external solutions.
• Fostering internal talent, strengthening our capabilities in artificial intelligence and digitalization.

2. Data Quality and Internationalization

• Greater accuracy and traceability of information, facilitating reporting and audit processes.
• International scalability, allowing for agile deployment in any project or country without additional costs.
• Generating cross-functional knowledge, with insights already being applied to new features and use cases within the organization.

With this launch, we are optimizing daily processes and demonstrating how internal innovation and digitalization are key drivers for moving toward a more efficient and environmentally friendly business model.

We launched RevelaVerde to mark World Environment Day, inviting employees to take part in an environmental photography competition.

The idea was simple: to capture images that show how our teams live and work alongside nature, helping to protect and transform the places where we operate.

More than 100 photographs from 30 projects across eight countries were submitted.

Together, they reveal the biodiversity that surrounds our worksites, creative ways of giving resources a second life, landscapes shaped by water and small details that often go unnoticed but speak volumes about why environmental care matters.

The winning and finalist entries, featured here, capture that commitment from different perspectives.

From a small lizard hidden in the vegetation in Colombia to water-purifying microorganisms in Spain and material reuse initiatives in Brazil, these images invite us to look more closely at the world around us.

More than a competition, RevelaVerde is a reminder of the value of stopping to observe: to recognize the environmental richness around us and celebrate the people working every day to deliver projects that are more respectful of natural spaces.
 

Water

First prize

Elena Ferrer

Second prize (left)
Carlos Vallejo

Third prize (right)
Steffanie Grace Espinosa

Circular economy

First prize

Aline Silva Nobre

Second prize (left)
Tamara Cardoso

Third prize (right)
Evelyn Cárdenas

Flora and fauna

First prize

Andrés Mauricio Forero

Second prize (left)
Giamarco Dariva

Third prize (right)
Yasmin Cuarta Burgos