On 19 December 2024, ENCE announced the acquisition of the plant BIOMETAGAS LA GALERA. After a long process, ENCE has acquired one of the pioneering and most outstanding facilities in biomethane production in Spain. This event marks a significant milestone for ENCE, which enters the renewable gas sector, and consolidates the benchmark role of the BIOMETAGAS plant. Through this operation ENCE confirms its well-founded ambitions in the world of renewable gas and consolidates the benchmark technological role of its acquisition.
With this purchase, ENCE has validated and acquired a plant where the processes developed by AGF PROCESOS BIOGAS SL are carried out on an industrial scale. The engineering designs for the application of these processes have also been developed by AGF PROCESOS BIOGAS SL.
The BIOMETAGAS LA GALERA plant was the second plant to implement the innovative two-stage biogas process developed by AGF and was also the second plant to apply AGF’s CO2 separation technology for the production of biomethane by water. The two-stage process of high-efficiency biogas production has proven highly efficient in recent years in the two operational plants, in both compact and high-power plant designs, allowing biogas to be converted into a significant source of income. This AGF two-stage process has demonstrated notable advantages over traditional plants, and has been tested on a full scale in two plants, successfully facing countless situations.
In turn, the technology of separating CO2 by absorption in water allows biogas to be transformed into revenue. The selection of this water absorption technology has proven to be a great success, both in normal operating dynamics and in critical scenarios produced by uncontrollable and unpredictable boundary variables. AGF’s CO2 separation and water-based biomethane production plant ensures high-quality biomethane production in a multitude of scenarios and without the need for subsequent enrichment with fossil gas.
The integral approach of AGF, with the integration of processes, engineering and operation developed by a single company, are differentiating factors that generate a great competitive advantage in terms of high plant availability and stable and profitable production.
The future of the BIOMETAGAS LA GALERA plant will focus on establishing the framework necessary to bring the plant to its maximum production capacity, with AGF operating both plants in close collaboration with the ENCE team.
AGF has more than ten years of experience in the operation of biogas plants, having faced various situations and challenges. Its experience includes more than four years injecting biogas into two positions and three years injecting biogas into third-party gas pipelines, it has participated in more than 15 start-ups between Spain and the United Kingdom, and it has developed an engineering team capable of taking the R&D developments of its CIAD and new industrial processes to an industrial scale.
AGF PROCESOS BIOGAS SL would like to thank BIOMETAGAS LA GALERA for the trust placed in the pioneering two-stage biogas production technology in 2017. Work began before the BIOGASNALIA plant had been started up.
Subsequently, the capacities of AGF were also relied upon to develop biomethane production technology in 2018, long before the first plant, UNUE, came into service in 2021. AGF began by developing membrane technology, but, being deeply aware of the reality of membranes, it ended up abandoning this process and betting on water absorption.
The vision and commitment of BIOMETAGAS LA GALERA made it possible to develop the first, and so far only, private industrial plant in Spain capable of injecting biomethane into the high-pressure transport network. This is no small milestone, due to the difficulty of injecting into a transport pipeline, which is much more restrictive than distribution pipelines. This project not only represents a technological advance, but also a pioneering business model that can boost sustainable development and the circular economy.
With this acquisition, ENCE – Energía y Celulosa is positioning itself as a major player in the renewable gas production sector. The BIOMETAGAS LA GALERA plant is one of the facilities with the highest production capacity currently operating in Spain, and represents the first asset within ENCE’s ambitious industrial development plans in the sector.
The experience, leadership and vision demonstrated in this operation will positively enhance the performance of the La Galera plant, contributing to the sustainable growth of the energy sector.
