22 June 2023
PreZero, Waga Energy and Nedgia launch Spain’s largest project for injecting biomethane produced from waste at a controlled landfill into the gas grid
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This facility, operational as of June 20, is located at the Can Mata controlled landfill (Els Hostalets de Pierola, Barcelona) owned by PreZero Spain.
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Using WAGABOX® technology, developed by Waga Energy, 70 GWh of renewable gas will be injected into Nedgia’s grid each year (enough to meet the needs of 14,000 households) while avoiding the emission of 17,000 tons of CO2eq per year into the atmosphere.
Overview of the biogas management area, where the biomethane production unit has been installed, at the Can Mata controlled landfill (Barcelona).
PreZero Spain, a leading environmental services company specialized in delivering municipal services and developing circular economy solutions, and Waga Energy, a European company specialized in producing biomethane from controlled landfills, have commissioned Spain’s largest project to produce biomethane from biogas generated by the degradation of waste in a controlled landfill. This renewable gas is injected directly into the grid operated by Nedgia, the Naturgy group’s gas distribution company, via a 6-kilometer pipeline built as part of the project.
The facility, located at the Can Mata controlled landfill (Els Hostalets de Pierola, Barcelona) and operational since June 20, will be the first in Spain capable of producing 70 GWh of biomethane per year from solid waste, equivalent to the energy consumption of 14,000 homes or 200 municipal buses. This will avoid the emission of more than 17,000 tons of CO2 eq. per year by replacing conventional natural gas. The biomethane produced by this unit is ISCC EU certified, which guarantees its compliance with the sustainability and greenhouse gas reduction requirements of the European Union’s Renewable Energy Directive.
The construction and maintenance of the unit is financed by the sale of biomethane to a private operator under an energy purchase agreement. This is the first large-scale project for injecting biomethane from a controlled landfill to be financed using this model in Europe. This disruptive initiative in the renewable energy sector, obtained a grant of €2.4 million from the European Union through the Innovation Fund (Small Scale) program, aimed at developing innovative technologies to reduce the carbon footprint.
Can Mata controlled landfill, Barcelona
On a site spanning 78 hectares, equivalent to more than 70 soccer fields, Can Mata is one of the largest controlled landfills in Spain. It is located in the municipality of Els Hostalets de Pierola, some 40 kilometers from Barcelona. This facility, which treats municipal and industrial waste from Barcelona and its hinterland, has been operated by PreZero Spain for more than 30 years, having treated more than 22 million tons of waste during this period. The waste stored at Can Mata produces almost 40 million cubic meters of biogas per year, which to date has been used to produce heat for drying concentrates from leachate treatment, as well as to produce electricity and heat for the manufacture of construction materials. This new technology enables 100% of the biogas from the landfill to be upgraded.
Cutting-edge technology for landfill biogas recovery
The result of 15 years of research, WAGABOX® technology focuses on the production of biomethane from landfill biogas. This innovation combines membrane filtration and cryogenic distillation to separate methane, an energy gas, from the other gases emitted by the waste (oxygen, nitrogen, carbon dioxide and volatile organic compounds). It ensures energy efficiency far in excess of solutions based on electricity production, as well as optimal resource recovery, without constraining landfill operations. A total of 17 units have been commissioned in France, Canada and Spain in the last 6 years. A dozen more are under construction in France, Canada and the United States.
Gonzalo Cañete, CEO of PreZero in Spain and Portugal, said:
“This project is the first of its kind in Spain; it converts biogas from a controlled landfill into renewable natural gas ready for injection into the gas grid to be used in homes, industries or vehicles. It will set an international precedent on how to move towards the circular economy.”
Mathieu Lefebvre, CEO of Waga Energy, commented:
“The commissioning of the WAGABOX® unit at Can Mata represents a milestone in the development in Spain of biomethane, a vector of the energy transition and of the fight against global warming. The success of this innovative project is the result of exemplary cooperation between the Waga Energy, PreZero and Nedgia teams, motivated by the will to take concrete steps to preserve our environment.”
Raúl Suárez, CEO of Nedgia, said:
“Injecting 70 GWh of renewable gas through the Can Mata facility in Hostalets de Pierola showcases how technology and business collaboration bring to life a project that seamlessly combines green energy and circular economy. At Nedgia, we firmly believe in the significant contribution of projects like this to improve security of supply, reach climate targets, and allow emissions reduction for our customers, without requiring additional investments.”
About PreZero in Spain and Portugal
With over 16,000 employees, the company delivers municipal services (waste collection, street cleaning and green area management) for over 12 million people in more than 900 municipalities, and it develops circular economy solutions for treating and recycling waste at the over 130 facilities that it operates. The company is part of PreZero International, which employs over 30,000 people in 11 countries and is a member of the Schwarz Group, which includes leading European food retailers, Lidl and Kaufland.
About Waga Energy
Waga Energy (EPA: WAGA) is an international renewable energy company that produces competitively priced biomethane by upgrading landfill gas using WAGABOX® technology. Waga Energy finances, builds and operates its WAGABOX® units under long-term contracts with landfill operators to extract gas, which it injects into the grid to supply homes and companies in place of fossil natural gas, generating revenue from the sale of the biomethane. Waga Energy operates 17 WAGABOX® units in Europe, representing an installed capacity of 640 GWh/year, and has 12 other projects under development in France, Spain, Canada and the United States. Waga Energy has been established in Spain since 2020 and is headquartered in Barcelona. Each project developed by Waga Energy contributes to combating climate change and driving the energy transition. Waga Energy has been listed on Euronext Paris since October 27, 2021.
About Nedgia
A subsidiary of the Naturgy group, Nedgia is Spain’s leading gas distribution company, operating in 11 autonomous regions and 1,150 municipalities. It has more than 5.4 million supply points, accounting for 70% of consumers. Its main assets are the 57,000 kilometers of grid that enable the safe and efficient delivery of natural gas and renewable gas (biomethane), as well as hydrogen in the future. Innovation, proximity and customer service are its values and raison d’être.
Naturgy is a multinational energy group operating in electricity and gas. The company is firmly committed to the production and distribution of renewable gas, with three plants in operation and a portfolio of close to 60 projects at different stages of development that will enable it to bring new production of this renewable gas on stream in the short and medium term in Spain, which ranks third in Europe in terms of potential for biomethane production.