At the end of June, the company Naturgy inaugurated its third biomethane plant in Spain on a livestock farm in the municipality of Vila-Sana, Lleida. It is estimated that this facility will produce 12 GWh of renewable gas per year, which will produce an increase in the total company capacity to 29 GWh per yearenough to supply around 6,000 homes. This new plant represents another step forward in Naturgy’s commitment to the energy transition and decarbonisation.
A step towards sustainability
The annual production generated by this new installation will be injected into the distribution network of Nedgia, the natural gas distributor of the Naturgy Group, to allow its consumption by homes and businesses. Thanks to this new plant, the Emission of more than 2m4 tons of CO2 per year. José Luis Gil, General Manager of Renewable Gases at Naturgy, highlighted that renewable gas “plays a fundamental role in the decarbonisation of the energy sector and, especially, of domestic consumption such as heating”. With this, Naturgy now has three plants in operation (A Coruña, Barcelona and Lleida, with upcoming installations in Valencia and Seville) and dozens of projects in different stages of development.
Biomethane, obtained from waste treatment, integrates perfectly into the gas distribution network and is compatible with domestic boilers, making it a strategic ally for decarbonization without the need for additional investments in households. “This compatibility makes biomethane a great decarbonising agent, allowing households to reduce their emissions without making any kind of investment. Without renewable gases, we will not be able to complete the energy transition,” added Raúl Suárez, CEO of Nedgia.
Economic and environmental benefits
This biomethane production boosts the circular economy and benefits rural environments. The waste treated to produce this fuel generates a by-product, the digestate, which can be used to make organic fertilizers, completing the circular economy cycle. Spain has great potential for biomethane production: It is the third European country in this area and could cover 45% of the national demand for natural gas, according to a study by SEDIGAS. Naturgy seeks to lead the renewable gas sector in Spain and take advantage of the opportunities offered by biomethane and hydrogen in the energy transition.
Nedgia, the distributor of the Naturgy Group, is the leader in the sector in Spain, operating in 11 autonomous communities and 1,150 municipalities. With more than 5.5 million supply points and a network of 57,000 kilometres, Nedgia guarantees a safe and efficient energy supply of natural gas and renewable gases.
Impact and future of biomethane
Replacing conventional natural gas with biomethane reduces the amount of CO2 emitted into the atmosphere, which is crucial to meeting the decarbonisation targets set by international agreements and the European Union. But the use of biomethane is not only beneficial for the environment: It also offers economic advantages. It is produced from waste, so its manufacture promotes the sustainable management of this waste, which in turn generates employment in rural areas and promotes the circular economy. In addition, the by-product of the digestion process can be used as organic fertilizer, which closes the production cycle in a sustainable way.