Moeve has unveiled an ambitious €600m investment plan for developing 30 biomethane plants throughout Spain.
Andalusia, Catalonia, and Galicia are highlighted as the main regions with the greatest potential for biomethane deployment.
The energy company aims to produce biomethane from agricultural and livestock waste and manage a project portfolio of 4 TWh by 2030.
The use of this renewable gas, instead of fossil fuels, will allow Moeve to reduce CO2 emissions from its energy parks, chemical plants, its strategic industrial clients and partners, as well as providing a complementary vector for green hydrogen production and promoting sustainable mobility.
The total production, equivalent to enough energy for 568,000 households, will result in the reuse of 10 million tonnes of waste per year and will prevent the emission of 728,000 tonnes of CO2 annually.
Moeve has partnerships with Kira Ventures and PreZero and signed an agreement with InproEner to develop five biomethane plants, which are expected to be operational between 2028/29. Each facility will produce around 50 GWh per year, adding up to 250 GWh of biomethane a year.
This partnership includes a collaboration with EnviTec Biogas, which will contribute its experience building more than 650 biogas plants internationally.
Matteo Vaglio, Moeve’s Biofuels Manager, said biomethane is a key commitment for Moeve to decarbonise its activity and that of its clients, as it can be immediately used in existing industries and transportation networks.
“This aspect facilitates its integration into the current energy market while promoting economic and social development in rural areas. Agreements with partners, such as the one reached with InProEner, are essential to accelerate our goals in this sector,” he said.
Biomethane: a key player in the energy transition
Moeve plans to reduce its CO2 emissions by 55% by 2030 (Scope 1 and 2) compared to 2019 and aims to be carbon neutral by 2050. With carbon intensity of its energy sold, the goal is to reduce it by 15-20% by 2030.
During its lifecycle, biomethane reduces more than 90% CO2 emissions compared to conventional natural gas. It is produced through a natural decomposition process (anaerobic digestion) of biodegradable organic agricultural, livestock, and industrial waste. Subsequently, after being purified through a technological process, ‘upgrading’, it is converted into biomethane.
Biomethane production plants contribute to the sustainable economic development of rural areas, boosting two key sectors for the Spanish economy, such as agriculture and livestock.
In addition, biomethane plants are an alternative to waste treatment, as they allow waste to be reused for the production of renewable energy and by-products such as fertilisers or sustainable fertilisers that can be used on local farmland.
The production of renewable gases is in line with the REPowerEU initiative to reduce dependence on fossil fuels and CO2 emissions.
Last November, The European Investment Bank (EIB) granted Nortegas Group funding of up to €80m to enable group subsidiary Nortegas Renovables to finance the construction of biomethane plants in Spain.
