Naturgy accelerates renewable gas penetration with the start-up of its third biomethane plant

• The new facility, located on a livestock farm in the municipality of Vila-Sana (Lleida), will produce 12 GWh of biomethane per year.
• This renewable gas will be injected into the gas distribution network and will play a strategic role in the energy transition and in the decarbonisation of the housing stock as it will be compatible with domestic boilers.

Naturgy has started up its third biomethane plant in Spain and has now increased its renewable gas production capacity to 29 GWh per year, an amount equivalent to the gas consumption of around around 6,000 homes.

The new biomethane plant operated by Naturgy is located at the Porgaporcs livestock farm in the municipality of Vila-Sana (Lleida). The facility will produce around 12 GWh of renewable gas a year that will be injected into the network of Nedgia, the natural gas distributor of the Naturgy Group, for direct consumption by homes and businesses.

Its entry into operation is a further step in Naturgy’s transformation and a very important milestone for Spain’s energy transition. The Vila-Sana plant alone will prevent the emission into the atmosphere of 2,450 tonnes of CO2 equivalent per year.

“Renewable gas has a key role to play in the decarbonisation of the energy sector and especially domestic consumption such as heating. At Naturgy we are committed to its promotion with a portfolio that already has three plants in operation and dozens of projects under development or construction”, explains José Luis Gil, General Manager of Naturgy Renewable Gases.

Biomethane is strategic to meet the decarbonisation targets committed to at the national level. This renewable gas, obtained from the treatment of different types of waste, meets the technical conditions for circulation in the gas distribution network and consumption at residential level, as its use is compatible with domestic boilers.

“This compatibility makes biomethane a great decarbonising agent, as it allows households to reduce their emissions without any 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 to rural environments and the circular economy. As it is obtained from waste treatment, biomethane contributes to the decarbonisation of the primary sector and helps it to achieve reduction and recycling targets. In addition, a digestate is derived from its production that can be used to produce organic fertilisers, thus completing the cycle of the circular economy.

Spain is the third European country with the greatest potential for biomethane production, although its current production figures are far below comparable countries such as France or Denmark. According to a study carried out 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, leader in renewable gas

Naturgy aims to be the leading company in promoting renewable gases in Spain, both in the production and distribution of biomethane in Spain in the short term, and in the development of hydrogen as an energy vector that will have a significant impact on the energy mix in the medium term. The company is well positioned to take advantage of the opportunity offered by renewable gases to move towards decarbonisation and is ready to deploy significant investments and resources in this business.

In relation to biomethane, Naturgy manages a broad portfolio of projects throughout Spain at different stages of development and it already has three production plants of its own in operation at the WWTP of Bens (A Coruña), Cerdanyola del Vallès (Barcelona) and Vila-Sana (Lleida). These will be joined in the coming months by two other facilities that are at an advanced stage of development or under construction in Utiel (Valencia) and Utrera (Seville).

Nedgia, the Naturgy Group’s gas distributor, is the leading company in the sector in Spain, where it operates in 11 autonomous communities and 1,150 municipalities. It has more than 5.5 million supply points, representing 70% of the country’s consumers, to whom it safely and efficiently supplies natural gas and renewable gases, biomethane and hydrogen through its more than 57,000 kilometres of networks.

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