The first plants are scheduled to be operational in 2025 in Castilla-La Mancha and Castilla y León
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- Cepsa has reached an agreement with Kira Ventures for the development of up to 15 biomethane plants in Spain this decade
- Cepsa’s goal in 2030 is to manage 4 TWh per year to decarbonize industrial activity, replace the consumption of natural gas with biomethane in energy parks and chemical plants, and provide a complementary vector for green hydrogen production and mobility work.
- The use of this renewable gas instead of fossil gas will mean the revaluation of 10 million tons of waste per year, thus promoting the circular economy, and will avoid the emission of 728,000 tons of CO2 per year, equivalent to planting 8.7 million trees
- Biomethane is a sustainable energy that can reduce CO emissions by up to 100% and can now be used to improve energy transfer since it does not require any adaptation of industries or transport networks.
- In addition, biomethane plants contribute to the development of the world economy in the countryside and in Spain, promoting two important sectors such as agriculture and livestock.
Cepsa has begun the search and development of projects for the construction and operation of plants for the production of biomethane from agricultural and livestock waste with the aim of decarbonizing industrial activity and replacing the consumption of natural gas with this reformed gas. By 2030, the company aims to manage a project portfolio of 4 TWh per year, an ambitious goal equivalent to enough energy for 650,000 homes, which will allow it to reduce CO emissions in its energy parks and chemical plants, in addition to creating a complementary vector for the green production of hydrogen and work in sustainable mobility. The use of this renewable gas instead of fossil gas will mean the revaluation of 10 million tons of waste per year and the emission of 728,000 tons of CO2 per year, equivalent to planting 8.7 million trees.
Within the framework of this objective, the energy company signed an alliance with Kira Ventures, a leading Spanish company in the promotion and management of renewable energy assets, for the launch of up to 15 biomethane plants in Spain this decade. The two companies are already working on the development of the first five, which will be located in Castilla-La Mancha and Castilla y León and are expected to be operational between 2025 and 2026.
These plants use agricultural and livestock wastes from the places where they are placed, such as manure and slurry, etc., and they will be 100% sustainable because they will use electricity from renewable sources for their operation and take advantage of the heat generated by the biogas itself.
Javier Antúnez, Director of Biofuels at Cepsa, says: “We continue to focus on second-generation biofuels by developing biomethane plants. This is another step in Cepsa’s strategy to decarbonize its operation, and it will continue to promote the energy transition. By producing biomethane, we can replace natural gas in industrial processes and thus advance our goal of reducing the emissions of our activity by 55%, in addition to contributing to the production of green hydrogen and offering a new sustainable mobility alternative.”
For his part, Alberto Rodríguez Gallego, partner at Kira Ventures, emphasized: “With this agreement, we consolidate our commitment to the development of new renewable energy vectors, which contribute to the decarbonization of the industry. At Kira we believe that biomethane plays an important role in the transition to a carbon-neutral economy, improving the energy independence of our country and providing a more efficient alternative for the management of livestock and agri-food waste. Spain is ready to take advantage of its potential to expand this technology, and Kira Ventures intends to play a key role in that transition.
This milestone is part of Cepsa’s 2030 strategic plan, ‘Positive Action’, where the company promotes the decarbonization of its activity and its clients, especially through the production of green molecules (biofuels and green hydrogen). The company has an ambitious roadmap established to cut CO emissions by 55% by 2030.2 (scope 1 and 2) compared to 2019 and aims to be carbon neutral before 2050, where the use of biomethane in industrial processes is essential. As for the carbon intensity of the energy it sells, it will be reduced between 15 and 20% by 2030.
Biomethane has the same characteristics as natural gas, but allows CO emissions to be reduced by up to 100%.2. This uniformity means that it can also be stored or injected directly into the existing gas transportation network, without the need to develop new infrastructure. In addition to being used as a substitute for natural gas for industrial use, this renewable gas can also be used for producing green hydrogen and as an alternative for sustainable mobility.
This second generation (2G) biofuel is obtained from biogas, which in turn is produced through the natural process of decomposition (anaerobic digestion) of biodegradable organic agricultural, livestock and industrial waste. Then, after purification through a technological process called UPGRADESbecomes biomethane.
Biomethane plants are a sustainable alternative for the treatment of waste, since they allow it to be revalued for the production of renewable energy and for the production of products such as sustainable manure or fertilizers that can be used in farm in the area. In addition, biomethane production plants contribute to the sustainable development of the world’s rural economy and empty Spain, promoting two important sectors for the Spanish economy, such as agriculture and livestock.
The production of renewable gases is in line with the REPowerEU initiative to reduce dependence on fossil fuels and CO emissions.2in addition to contributing to some of the Sustainable Development Goals of the 2030 Agenda: SDG 7 (Affordable and clean energy), SDG 8 (Decent work and economic growth), SDG 12 (Responsible production and consumption) and SDG 13 (Action for the time) .
