We will increase the volume of renewable gas that will be distributed in our network thanks to the launch of two new projects in Albacete that will inject biomethane into the gas infrastructure and are part of the “Albacete Green Energy” strategy.
Enjoying support from all the public authorities (Town Hall, Provincial Council and Autonomous Government of Castile-La Mancha) and private initiatives, the Town Hall has submitted 14 projects as part of the “Albacete Green Energy” strategy to request funding from the European Union and its Next Generation recovery fund. These initiatives have a single aim: to make the city grow and build a future with greater opportunities and quality of life, driving forward the comprehensive circular economy.
Thanks to this roadmap to the future, Albacete will become the first city in Spain to simultaneously take advantage of biomethane produced by processing water at the wastewater treatment plant (EDAR) and waste from the urban waste processing plant (CTRU).
With this aim in mind, we will build over 6 kilometres of piping so that our distribution network can convey the 34 GWh per year of renewable gas that will be generated by these two initiatives, equivalent to the consumption of 6,800 homes in Albacete, which will save 8,250 tonnes of CO2 and is comparable to planting around 390,000 trees.
Pioneering initiatives
The first project will be developed by Aguas de Albacete and Naturgy at the city’s wastewater treatment plant and will produce 16 GWh of biomethane per year that will be consumed at the various offices and buildings of Albacete Town Hall. Meanwhile, the initiative that will be launched by Albacete Provincial Council at the urban waste processing plant is predicted to produce 18 GWh of biomethane each year, as well as 4,000 tonnes per year of high added value fertilizers. Moreover, this project aims to increase waste recycling by reclaiming current waste and a greater quantity of glass, and by producing recycled plastic to generate renewable energy as electricity and heat to supply local businesses.
Participation in this project is a further step for our company towards our commitment to decarbonising the gas infrastructure and the circular economy. The progressive incorporation of renewable gases such as biomethane or hydrogen into the Spanish gas system is a key element to reach the economy’s decarbonisation targets for 2030 and 2050. In addition, renewable gas and using gas infrastructures are the most effective and economical way to decarbonise households, as well as all the other sectors connected to the network.
A key factor in decarbonisation
Biomethane, or renewable gas, produced from organic, farming, agricultural or industrial waste, or waste from landfill and wastewater sites, provides significant environmental advantages and improves the circular economy by producing neutral CO2 emissions.
Furthermore, producing and injecting renewable gases provides significant benefits because it solves the environmental problem of emitting pollutants associated with waste management, reclaims waste, uses the existing distribution network and contributes to creating wealth in rural environments and stable employment.
About Nedgia Castile-La Mancha
Our distributor in the Castile-La Mancha region has operated in the community for over 30 years and has around 274,000 supply points in 81 municipalities. Its principal assets are the more than 4,000 km of networks that allow it to safely and efficiently supply natural gas today, and will also allow it to distribute renewable gas and hydrogen in the future. Innovation, proximity and customer service are part of its raison d’être, and characterise its activity.