Edison Next is committed to driving Spain to the global forefront in biomethane.

Spain is in a privileged position to become a world leader in the production and use of biomethane, a renewable gas obtained from organic waste. This advancement would not only address the urgent need to decarbonize business and industrial activity and reduce energy dependence, but would also promote rural development and foster a more sustainable and self-sufficient economy. At Edison Next, committed to innovation and sustainability, we are working to lead the movement through projects that are transforming the country’s energy landscape. Thanks to its abundant crops, forests, and agro-industrial, urban, and household waste, our country has a wealth of resources that we could harness for biomethane production. This raw material, distributed throughout the territory, offers us a unique opportunity to develop a robust and decentralized biomethane industry. Furthermore, by utilizing this waste, we would not only be generating clean energy but also reducing pollution and promoting more efficient waste management. In this way, the current emission into the atmosphere of methane generated by the decomposition of this waste, which has a greenhouse effect impact 25 times greater than CO2, is avoided. In the current European context, the treatment of organic waste has become not only a necessity but also an opportunity, as it is a process that helps stabilize this waste while producing renewable and environmentally friendly energy in the form of biogas, thus achieving sustainable management and a circular economy model. Thanks to this process, the reuse and recycling of waste with high polluting potential, such as livestock waste or waste from the agri-food industry, is maximized, producing a high-value-added biofertilizer and a renewable gas with a low or even negative CO2 footprint. The biogas produced, composed mainly of methane and carbon dioxide in percentages that vary depending on the origin of the treated waste, can be used as a renewable alternative to natural gas. It can be used directly in combustion equipment to produce heat (boilers), or in cogeneration plants to produce both electrical and thermal energy; it can also be purified to remove most of the carbon dioxide and impurities, obtaining high-quality biomethane that, for example, allows for the decarbonization of heavy road or maritime transport today without the need for new technologies or costly investments. Currently, several biogas upgrading technologies are available on the market. The selection of one or another will depend on the conditions of the raw biogas and the requirements for the final use of the biomethane. According to the latest available information, 55% of biomethane plants use membrane technology for upgrading. This shows the widespread adoption of this technology thanks to improvements in recent years in terms of both CAPEX and OPEX. At Edison Next, we are working on the development of several innovative projects that stand out for their efficiency in transforming waste into high-quality biomethane. Using anaerobic digestion technology, which breaks down organic matter in the absence of oxygen, we are producing biomethane with a purity comparable to that of conventional natural gas. This biomethane is extremely versatile, suitable for uses ranging from heating and cooling to transportation and electricity generation. Thanks to projects like Nature Biogás, where Edison Next is building one of the first biomethane plants in Spain, we are taking concrete steps towards the energy model of the future. With an investment of over 10 million euros, this plant will generate 30,000 MWh of Bio-LNG annually, transforming waste from livestock farms into biofuel. This project will not only promote the decarbonization of industry and transport in Asturias but will also serve as an example for the rest of the country, demonstrating the benefits that innovative energy solutions offer us. The implementation of biomethane solutions not only has a positive impact on the environment but also offers great economic benefits to companies and industries. By using organic waste to produce biomethane, the costs associated with waste disposal are eliminated, and at the same time, by opting for self-consumption, dependence on fossil fuels is reduced, leading to lower energy bills. On the other hand, creating a robust biomethane infrastructure in Spain could be part of the solution to the challenge of depopulation in our country’s rural areas. Biomethane, produced from local waste, drives economic activities in rural communities, such as waste management and biomethane plant operation. Therefore, by stimulating the rural economy, we would provide new sources of income and employment in areas that have suffered from depopulation and lack of opportunities. Our vision at Edison Next is clear. Spain has the potential to be a world leader in biomethane production, and we are committed to making this vision a reality. Through strategic investments and the implementation of innovative solutions and projects, we are building a cleaner and more sustainable energy future for all.