Valtom, a public authority in charge of waste management in Clermont-Ferrand (central France), calls upon Waga Energy to produce Renewable Natural Gas (RNG, also known as biomethane) on the Puy-Long landfill.
The WAGABOX® unit to be built on this site will upgrade the biogas emitted by the landfilled waste, as well as the biogas from an anaerobic digestion plant nearby operated by the company Vernéa. This is the first RNG production project in Europe to use a “hybrid” biogas source.
The biogas generated from the Clermont-Ferrand landfill is currently converted into electricity by an engine, and the biogas from the anaerobic digestion plant is used to power the incinerator at the Vernéa facility. Combining these two sources offers sufficient volume to make it worth operating an RNG production facility.
Recovering biogas as RNG is more energy efficient and will supply renewable energy that can be easily stored and transported via existing gas infrastructure. RNG also represents a solution for the decarbonization of hard-to-electrify sectors like industry and transport, and helps boost local energy sovereignty.
The WAGABOX® unit will inject up to 51,000 mmBtu (15 GWh) of RNG each year, equivalent to the annual consumption of more than 2,000 homes or around 60 buses. By producing RNG as a substitute for fossil-based natural gas, it will prevent the emission of around 2,500 metric tons of CO2eq into the atmosphere each year. The Valtom site will provide renewable gas to supply local households and businesses as well as a CNG/BioCNG filling station in Clermont-Ferrand.
“This dual biogas recovery project illustrates the potential synergies between an anaerobic digestion plant and a landfill, if the latter has been fitted with a WAGABOX® unit and is connected to the gas grid. The system, which helps optimize biogas recovery, is set to become widespread in France and abroad, encouraging RNG production and facilitating the energy transition,”
Mathieu Lefebvre, CEO of Waga Energy