Naturgy accelerates the penetration of renewable gas with the launch of its third biomethane plant. It is located on the Porgaporcs livestock farm, in the municipality of Vila-Sana (Lleida). It will produce 12 GWh of biomethane per year, which will be injected into the Nedgia network –the Group’s distributor– for consumption in homes and businesses. The company thus increases its renewable gas production capacity to 29 GWh per year, equivalent to the consumption of around 6,000 homes. Its entry into operation It represents another step in Naturgy’s transformation and a significant milestone for Spain’s energy transition.
Only the Vila-Sana plant will prevent the emission of 2,450 equivalent tons of CO2 into the atmosphere per year. “Renewable gas plays a fundamental role in the decarbonisation of the energy sector and, especially, of domestic consumption such as heating. At Naturgy we are committed to promoting it, with a portfolio that already includes three plants in operation and dozens of projects in development or construction,” explains José Luis Gil, General Manager of Renewable Gases at Naturgy.
Biomethane is key to meeting decarbonisation targets. Obtained from the treatment of waste of different kinds, it meets the technical conditions to circulate through the current distribution network and be consumed at a residential level, since it is compatible with domestic boilers. “This makes it a great decarbonizing agent that allows households to reduce their emissions without making any kind of investment“Without renewable gases we will not be able to complete the energy transition,” says Raúl Suárez, CEO of Nedgia.
Another of the great advantages of this renewable gas is the boost it provides to rural environments. As it is obtained from waste treatment, it contributes to the decarbonisation of the primary sector. In addition, its production produces a digestate that can be used to develop organic fertilisers, completing the cycle of the circular economy. Spain is the third European country with the greatest potential for producing biomethanealthough its production figures are far below those of countries such as France or Denmark. According to a study by Sedigas, Spain has a total biomethane production capacity of 163 TWh, which would cover around 45% of the current national demand for natural gas.
Naturgy wants to be the leading company in promoting renewable gases in Spain (biomethane in the short term and development of hydrogen in the energy mix in the medium term). It is well positioned. In relation to biomethane, it manages a wide portfolio of projects and three of its own production plants in the Bens WWTP (A Coruña), Cerdanyola del Vallès (Barcelona) and Vila-Sana (Lleida). Two other facilities will be added to these in the coming months in Utiel (Valencia) and Utrera (Seville). For its part, Nedgia has more than 5.5 million supply points, which represent 70% of the country’s consumers to whom it supplies natural gas and renewable gases, biomethane and hydrogen, through its more than 57,000 kilometres of networks.