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Minister of Industry, Energy, and Mines, Jorge Paradela, emphasized that Clean energy and stable and competitive prices «become the best lever to attract industrial investments in Andalusia» And that, in this opportunity context, the Andalusian government makes ‘a Strategic bet for the new technological vectors that are essential in this energy transition, with special attention to renewable hydrogen, biofuels, and biogas«.
During his entire speech, Paradela emphasized «the great Andalusian potential to generate biogas and biomethane» According to the use of waste generated by animals, agriculture, agri-food industry, solid urban waste, and wastewater treatment plants.
A study of this capability developed by the Spanish Gas Association Sedigás, «shows us as the second region with the highest potential in Spain», while estimates made by the Andalusian Energy Agency, together with its ministry, show that to materialize all these projects, 100% of natural gas consumption in the internal sector could be covered and almost 30% of industrial consumption in Andalusia», he said.
The counselor has included in this potential implementation Andalusian Biogas Alliance, «the first promoted by an autonomous community in Spain in the field of biogas», with which to expand and diversify the Andalusian government’s portfolio for renewable energies and whose launch was chaired by the Andalusian President, Juanma Moreno, in Jaén, on January 13.
The alliance, he explained, born with more than 90 adhering entities among companies, associations, universities, or technological centers, although it is open to new successes. Promoted by the Ministry of Industry, Energy, and Mines, it will be coordinated jointly with the Ministry of Sustainability and Environment and Agriculture, Fisheries, Water, and Rural Development.
The objectives of the Andalusian board with this new alliance, which Replicates the successful model of the Andalusian green hydrogen alliance, must promote a solid and efficient collaboration among key players in the Biogas value chain in Andalusia, accelerating the implementation of these plants and Decarbonization solutions in the Andalusian industry efficiently, minimizing emissions and neutralizing other negative impacts, such as waste management or odors.
In turn, it will contribute to achieving European challenges to achieve climate neutrality by 2050 and to achieve the objectives of reducing renewable energy emissions and penetrating national energy and integrated climate (PNIC) with a 2030 Horizon, explained Paradela.
«Biogas emerges as one of the solutions within the circular economy to achieve decarbonization, especially in most natural gas consumers, such as heat-intensive industry, generation and cogeneration plants for electricity production, or the transportation sector». This renewable gas is obtained from the decomposition of organic waste, and its main advantage is that it is an energy vector that can be used for many purposes. – The integration of biogas into the system will lead Andalusia towards a more sustainable energy transition,» he said.
In Europe, there are around 19,000 biogas production plants. However, in Spain, this technology still has a moderate implementation, with 210 active biogas plants, according to the latest available data.
In Andalusia, as of June 30, 2024, There are 21 biogas production plants all for electricity generation offering a total of 33.45 megawatts. Of these, 11 are located in landfills, 9 in WWTPs (wastewater treatment plants), and only one in an animal farm, using pig waste as raw material.
In the region, there are currently More than a hundred biogas facilities in the project and that would be an investment of 1.4 billion euros as well as the creation of some 3,500 jobs. Of these, 30 are in the administrative process, with investments totaling 840 million euros and with an expected impact on the employment of 2,000 people, with the province of Jaén concentrating a greater number of these projects, with 16 in progress.
«Faced with the global challenge posed by the energy transition, Andalusia has found in the development of renewable energies the great engine for the reindustrialization and economic growth of our community,» concluded the counselor.