Catalonia’s Minister for Climate Action, Food and the Rural Agenda, David Mascort, officially opened the Renewable Natural Gas production unit at the Can Mata landfill site on Friday, October 20. This is Spain’s largest project to transform biogas from waste degradation into renewable energy.
The initiative is led by PreZero Spain, one of the leading companies in the environmental sector specializing in the provision of urban services and the development of circular economy solutions, and Waga Energy, a leader in the production of biomethane from controlled landfill biogas. Nedgia, the Naturgy Group’s gas distributor, will inject the biomethane into its network via a 6-kilometer pipeline built as part of the project.
The plant is located in the Can Mata landfill site (Els Hostalets de Pierola, Catalonia) and can produce up to 70 GWh of biomethane per year from the recovery of gas emitted by wastes, equivalent to the energy consumption of 14,000 households or the fuel for 200 trucks. The use of RNG production will avoid the emission of 17,000 tons of CO2 per year by replacing fossil natural gas consumption with this renewable energy. The RNG produced by this unit has been awarded “ISCC EU” certification, which guarantees that it complies with the sustainability and greenhouse gas reduction criteria defined by the European directive on renewable energies.
The plant, which represents a breakthrough in the renewable energy sector, has been awarded a 2.4 million euro grant from the European Union as part of the Innovation Fund Small Scale program, which aims to develop innovative technologies to reduce carbon footprints.
“The plant we are opening today is a pioneer in Catalonia. It’s the only plant in Spain that can produce biomethane from the biogas generated by aerobic decomposition. It’s an initiative with which we are responding to several major challenges facing the country: the energy transition, the move towards a circular economy, the rural agenda aimed at promoting activity in the primary sector, and the reduction of emissions. We congratulate PreZero and Waga Energy as their commercial commitment has a key implication in the climate field.”
David Mascort, The Catalan Minister for Climate Action.
“This is an international reference in the production of biomethane from waste. On the one hand, because of its own management of the landfill for decades, which is an example at European level which has enabled us to generate renewable energy on a large scale. This project shows how to turn ambitious biomethane production initiatives into a tangible reality, and acts as a mirror for the entire environmental sector thanks to the collaboration between companies representing the entire value chain, adding the strengths that each of us can bring.”
Gonzalo Cañete, CEO of PreZero in Spain and Portugal.
“We are delighted with the success of this project developed in collaboration with PreZero and Nedgia, as well as with the support of the European Commission and its contribution to the energy transition. The Can Mata controlled reservoir is the first in Spain to benefit from this innovative technology, which has already been implemented in landfills in France and Canada, and will soon be implemented in the United States”
Mathieu Lefebvre, CEO of Waga Energy.
“This pioneering project places gas networks and biomethane at the heart of the energy transition, making it sustainable from an economic, social and environmental point of view. As it’s a local project, it enables us to produce gas at kilometer 0, reducing imports and dependence on third countries.”
Raúl Suárez, CEO of Nedgia.
“We are very pleased that Els Hostalets de Pierola is at the center of forward-thinking council and innovation, this is a very important step forward for the municipality and the territory. This is a pioneering installation throughout the state and a strategic commitment for our city, as a driver of the circular economy, energy transition and regeneration. The WAGABOX® is a complement, a technology that improves the efficiency and environmental compliance of this landfill. We need to see a reduction in emissions in the immediate environment.”
Gerard Parcerisas, Mayor of Hostalets de Pierola.
“At CINEA, we are delighted to support the Waga4World (W4W) project, one of the Innovation Fund’s pioneering projects which has successfully become operational. By supporting W4W, the Commission is placing innovative European technologies and small and medium-sized enterprises at the heart of the European Green Pact’s transition, and contributing to its ambitious biomethane production target.”
Roman Doubrava, Head of the Innovation Fund Unit at the European Commission’s CINEA