The biomethane upgrading plant at the Gipuzkoa Environmental Compound (CMG-2), developed by GHK and built and operated by FCC Medio Ambiente, has exceeded 1.36 million kWh of green gas injected into the grid in its first month of operation. This milestone cements the compound’s position as a leading facility in the recovery of bio-waste and confirms the effectiveness of this technology in moving towards a more sustainable and circular energy model. 

During this period, the plant has recorded an average daily production of 40,262 kWh of biomethane, a quantity of renewable energy equivalent to the daily consumption of approximately 1,900 homes equipped with heating, hot water and gas cookers, or that of more than 5,000 homes if only hot water and cooking consumption are taken into account.

The commissioning of this facility took place last July and marked a new milestone in the development of the CMG-2, which began operations in October 2019 to address two strategic needs in the region: the treatment of separately collected organic waste (OFMSW) and the recovery of blast furnace bottom slag from the Zubieta waste-to-energy plant. Built and operated by FCC Medio Ambiente, which was awarded the 20-year contract in 2019, the facility employs 30 people and comprises a bio-waste treatment plant and a slag treatment plant. Since it began operations, it has implemented various improvements aimed at optimising its environmental and operational performance, including the expansion of its wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) and, now, the construction of this new system for upgrading the biomethane produced for commercial distribution.

The CMG-2 bio-waste plant has the capacity to treat up to 60,000 tonnes of organic matter per year and currently receives virtually all the bio-waste collected separately in the province of Gipuzkoa. Biogas is generated during the anaerobic digestion process, with a nominal output of over 7.1 million cubic metres per year.

Until now, this biogas was utilised for energy through combined heat and power (CHP) engines to produce electricity and heat for the facility’s own consumption. Thanks to the new upgrading plant, the biogas generated during the anaerobic digestion process is converted into high-quality biomethane for direct injection into the gas distribution network. In this way, the renewable energy obtained from bio-waste selectively collected in Gipuzkoa can be used to power homes, businesses and industries, thereby contributing directly to the region’s decarbonisation process.

These initial results demonstrate the potential of the Gipuzkoa Environmental Compound to transform waste into resources and reinforce the role of FCC Medio Ambiente and GHK as drivers of innovative solutions that simultaneously contribute to sustainable waste management, the production of renewable energy and the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions.

Featured image taken from the website of the Gipuzkoa Waste Consortium.