Waga Energy to deliver major landfill gas-to-biomethane project in Spain

Global service operator Ferrovial Servicios has chosen Waga Energy to produce biomethane at one of Spain’s largest landfills.

The Can Mata landfill, near Barcelona, will be the first in Spain to use the WAGABOX purification technology, developed by Waga Energy to recover landfill gas in the form of biomethane, a renewable substitute for natural gas. It is the first landfill gas injection project in Europe to be financed by a long-term power purchase agreement (PPA).

The WAGABOX unit at the Can Mata site will be commissioned in 2022. It will treat up to 2,200 m³/h of landfill gas and inject 70 GWh of biomethane per year into Spanish operator Nedgia’s gas network, equivalent to the annual energy consumption of 14,000 Spanish households or a fleet of 200 lorries. The project will prevent the emissions of 17,000 tonnes of CO₂ per year.

This is the first landfill gas injection project to be financed by a long-term PPA in Europe. This method of financing is common for renewable electricity projects but rarely used for green gas projects, generally unable to provide buyers with a competitive price over the long-term.

Waga Energy will purchase part of the landfill gas from the Can Mata site from Ferrovial Servicios, finance the construction and operation of the WAGABOX unit, as well as manage relations with the gas network operator and the sale of the biomethane. Waga Energy will invest €7.5 million to commission the unit and connect the Can Mata site to the grid.

“This significant project with the Ferrovial Servicios group marks the culmination of three years of hard work by both parties,” said Mathieu Lefebvre, CEO and co-founder of Waga Energy.

“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 renewable gas project in Spain to materialise.”

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.”

Ten WAGABOX units are already in operation in France, supplying 35,000 homes and avoiding 45,000 tonnes of CO₂ emissions per year.