Axpo Iberia and Sorigué have decided to give an important boost to the Torre Santamaría biomethane plant with the acquisition of 80% of the plant's shareholding and the intention to invest an additional 15 million euros in this project.

Following the signing in 2020 of the first long-term biomethane purchase and sale agreement in Spain between the Torre Santamaría farm and Axpo Iberia, the project began injecting biomethane into the gas network in February 2022, following an investment of 4 million euros.

At that time, Axpo Iberia made possible a pioneering project in Spain, by exclusively using livestock waste from the Torre Santamaría farm for the production of biomethane. The plant is currently injecting 26 gigawatt-hours (GWh) each year into the gas distribution network.

After the acquisition of 80% of the shares of the holding company of the biomethane plant (Noguera Renovables) by Axpo Iberia and Sorigué (40% Axpo Iberia, 40% Sorigué, 20% TSM), in this second phase is intended to give a big boost to the project, moving to a production of 115 GWh per year, a contribution of great relevance to achieve the environmental, energy and climate goals proposed by the European Union for 2030.

The expansion of the project and the purchase and sale operation is currently awaiting the approval of the competent regulatory authorities and is subject to the consideration of a strategic project, in compliance with the required investment requirements; direct job creation (estimated at around 35); volume of purchases, services and supplies of the production process exceeding 40% from suppliers with productive headquarters in Catalonia and incorporation of actions in the field of renewable energies, circular economy and environmental sustainability.

circular economy

This project places the Torre Santamaría farm as a practical and pioneering example of a circular economy, by converting all of its agri-food waste into biomethane, which is injected directly into the network.

In Catalonia alone, it is estimated that around 17 million tons of slurry are generated. With the transformation of methane gas into biomethane, clean energy is obtained for direct consumption on farms or for injection into the gas network, as in the case of Torre Santamaría.

In addition to obtaining energy in the form of biomethane, after the treatment of the organic remains rejected from the process, a series of by-products are obtained in the form of organic and ecological fertilizers which in turn are reused to fertilize the same pastures that, again, the cows will consume.

Sorigué expands its commitment to renewable energies Sorigué is a business group referring to the sectors of services in the city, water cycle, infrastructures and materials, and renewable energies. The group develops renewable electricity generation projects through photovoltaic parks, self-consumption and distributed generation. In addition, it develops projects to improve energy efficiency in industrial facilities and buildings. With sustainability at the cross-cutting axis of its activity, Sorigué actively participates in R+D+i projects on green economy, efficiency energy, decarbonization and sustainable construction, among others. From December 2022, Sorigué joined the biomethane generation project with the aim of expanding its commitment to projects linked to the circular economy and renewable energies. In this project, the business group not only wants to make energy use of the organic waste from livestock, but also bets on sharing its know-how in the field of transport, management and treatment of waste, as well as in the reuse of nutrients .Granja Torre SantamaríaThe Torre Santamaría farm, located in the town of Balaguer (Lleida) and dedicated to the production and marketing of milk, became in 2011 the first livestock farm in Spain to produce its own energy by installing a biogas plant that decomposes manure to transform it into electricity, heating and hot water for internal use; and was also the first to inject biomethane directly into the gas network. The farm currently has 2,300 milk-producing cows, capable of producing 24 million liters of milk per year. Axpo Iberia Group Axpo is the largest renewable energy producer in Switzerland and an international leader in solar energy trading and marketing and wind With a workforce of 5,000 employees and operations in more than 30 countries in Europe and the United States, it develops innovative solutions combining an experience of more than 100 years with its capacity to innovate for a sustainable energy future. Axpo Iberia manages from for more than 15 years the largest independent portfolio of renewable plants in the peninsula and offers products and services in Spain and Portugal that range from the supply of electricity and gas, to energy efficiency and the trading of electricity, gas, biomass, guarantees of origin and CO₂.