Landfill gas injection project finance first in Europe

Ferrovial Servicios and Waga Energy are to produce biomethane at the Can Mata landfill, one of Spain’s largest landfill sites, near Barcelona. The Can Mata project is reported to be the first landfill gas injection project in Europe to be financed by a long-term power purchase agreement (PPA).

The Can Mata site will also be the first in Spain to use WAGABOX^® purification technology developed by Waga Energy to recover landfill gas in the form of biomethane, a renewable substitute for natural gas.

Due to be commissioned in 2022, the new plant will treat up to 2,200 m³/h of landfill gas and inject 70 GWh of biomethane per year into the Spanish gas network operated by Nedgia. This will be equivalent to the annual energy consumption of 14,000 Spanish households or a fleet of 200 lorries, claim the two companies, avoiding the emission of 17,000 t/y of CO₂ by substituting renewable gas for natural gas.

As noted, this is the first ever landfill gas injection project to be financed by a long-term power purchase agreement in Europe. This method of financing is common for renewable electricity projects, but rarely used for green gas projects, which are generally unable to provide buyers with a competitive price over the long term, explains the joint venture.

Can Mata is one of the most important waste storage sites in Spain. It produces more than 40mn m³/y of raw biogas, which to date has been used in the form of electricity and fuel to power a ceramic factory. Combining membrane filtration and cryogenic distillation, it is claimed the WAGABOX unit will greatly increase energy yields.

The Can Mata landfill site is one of the largest in Spain
Photo: Ferrovial Servicios