The Ferrovial Servicios group, a global service operator, has selected Waga Energy to produce biomethane at the Can Mata landfill, one of Spain’s largest landfills, near Barcelona.
The Can Mata project is the first landfill gas injection project in Europe to be financed by a long-term Power Purchase Agreement (PPA) and will be the first project in Spain to use WAGABOXà‚® purification technology. This proprietary technology was developed by Waga Energy to recover landfill gas in the form of biomethane, a renewable substitute for natural gas.
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The WAGABOXà‚® unit will combine membrane filtration and cryogenic distillation, as well as separate the methane contained in landfill gas for direct injection into gas grids. It will treat up to 2,200 m3/h of landfill gas and inject 70GWh of biomethane per year into the gas network of the Spanish operator Nedgia. The project will avoid the emission of 17,000 tonnes of CO2 per year by substituting renewable gas for natural gas.
Waga Energy will purchase part of the landfill gas from the Can Mata site from Ferrovial Servicios, finance the construction and operation of the WAGABOXà‚® unit, as well as manage relations with the gas network operator and the sale of the biomethane. Waga Energy will invest €7.5 million ($9.12 million) to commission the unit and connect the Can Mata site to the Nedgia gas grid, located four kilometres away. The unit will be commissioned in 2022.
Can Mata is one of the most important waste storage sites in Spain. It produces more than 40 million cubic meters of raw biogas per year, which has so far been used in the form of electricity and fuel to power a ceramic factory.
Antonio Aliana, regional director of Ferrovial Servicios in Catalonia, said: “The agreement signed with Waga Energy strengthens Ferrovial’s commitment to sustainable development. This circular economy project will make it possible to produce biomethane, for the benefit of our citizens, thanks to the most advanced technology for the recovery of biogas from waste gas. We hope that this innovative green energy project will be extended to other sites that we operate, as part of our strategy to transform waste into resources”.
Mathieu Lefebvre, CEO and co-founder of Waga Energy, concluded: “This significant project with the Ferrovial Servicios group marks the culmination of three years of hard work by both parties. Landfill gas-to-biomethane injection projects are complex from a technological, regulatory, and financial point of view. Our unique expertise in this area, combined with our commitment to the energy transition, has enabled this major renewable gas project in Spain to materialise.”
The long-term PPA method of financing is rarely used for green gas projects, generally unable to provide buyers with a competitive price over the long term. However, the two partners have adopted a business model that guarantees high performance throughout the project cycle, facilitating the PPA.
