The Community promotes a sludge reception plant to produce biogas and electricity in Vega Media

The project, with an investment of around 3.5 million euros, will substantially reduce CO2 emissions in the Alguazas, Archena, Ceutí, Lorquí and Las Torres de Cotillas WWTPs

The Community launches the project to install a sludge reception plant for the production of biogas, electricity generation and cogeneration in the Vega Media del Segura region. The managing director of Esamur, Ignacio Díaz, stressed that “this is one more commitment by the regional government, through Esamur, to promote the circular economy through the use of resources, not only treated water, but also sludge treatment plants to produce biogas for self-consumption”.

The regional manager indicated that the initiative represents a commitment to the production of renewable energy from sewage sludge, which undergoes an anaerobic digestion process from which biogas is obtained. In addition to energy recovery, it is possible to obtain cleaner water and promote environmental sustainability in the field of wastewater treatment by reusing it for other uses. “With this initiative we went from managing waste to managing a resource,” said Ignacio Díaz.

The biogas obtained from the treatment plant can be used as fuel to heat municipal buildings, to produce electricity for self-consumption at the treatment plant itself, or as fuel for vehicles. “A potential that we have to take advantage of,” stressed the manager of Esamur. Treatment plants are one of the sectors with the greatest advantage in biogas production due to their generation capacity and their proximity to urban centers.

This action that will be carried out from the Alguazas wastewater treatment plant (EDAR) for the entire Vega Media will contribute to the fight against climate change by significantly reducing CO2 emissions related to the treatment of wastewater from the populations served by sewage plants. “Specifically, the towns of Alguazas, Archena, Ceutí, Lorquí and Torres de Cotillas will be strengthened by a project that is committed to reusing nearby resources such as sludge derived from wastewater treatment and electromechanical materials and equipment. that the industry contributes,” said Díaz.

The project has an investment of 3,487,162 euros, of which 2,654,122 euros are the Community’s own funds and 833,049 euros are subsidized by European funds for strategic projects for economic recovery and transformation (PERTE).