Zaragoza, October 4, 2024 – In September 2024, the LIFE CHANDELIER Project began its mission to promote the sustainable production of vehicle biogas in rural areas. This innovative initiative, with a budget of 3.9 million euros over three years, represents a significant step towards sustainability in the transport sector and sustainable rural development. Coordinated by the Aragonese Food and Nutrition Cluster, the LIFE CHANDELIER project will have a high impact thanks to a strategic consortium composed of a leading meat sector company, innovative renewable gas companies, and technology centers specialized in bioenergy production and agri-food waste management: GUCO (Grupo Arcoiris), Genia Bioenergy, Inderen, the Technological Institute of Aragón, and Eurecat.
Biogas Production from Agri-Food Waste as an Advanced Biofuel for Sustainable Transport
Biogas can significantly contribute to mitigating climate change in the European Union (EU). The European Commission (EC) estimates that by 2030, 350 TWh of biogas will be produced, which will result in a reduction of about 110 million tons of CO2 equivalent emissions, approximately 6% of the total effort needed to achieve a 55% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions (GHG).
Advanced Solutions to Improve Agri-Food Waste Management in Rural Areas
LIFE CHANDELIER has identified great potential to increase advanced biogas production while improving current agri-food waste management in rural areas. The project aims to demonstrate the optimized and traceable production of biogas and vehicle biogas (using blockchain technology) and profitable production (according to ISCC EU 202-5 and 205 standards) in small to medium-scale plants. This will be achieved by simultaneous pre-treatment through extrusion of complex lignocellulosic agri-food waste (in particular, olive pomace, almond shells, vine shoots, and cereal straw) and its anaerobic co-digestion with other organic agri-food waste (such as manure and slaughterhouse waste).
Innovation in Biogas Production
As part of the project, different combinations of agri-food waste generated in rural areas will be optimized to maximize biogas production. The solution includes an innovative biogas upgrading system based on hydrophobic membrane technology, a more cost-effective and environmentally friendly alternative to traditional methods such as water washing or chemical absorption. The proposed solution, competitive in terms of cost and flexible in terms of feedstock, is based on modular and innovative technologies. It will lead to a significant reduction in GHG emissions (up to 80%) and enable the profitable production of biogas in rural areas for sustainable transport. In this context, the quality of the biogas will be validated as Bio-CNG in a high-capacity vehicle (HDV) that will travel 120,000 km during the project. LIFE CHANDELIER will also include digital modeling of the integrated processes to optimize biogas production and facilitate scaling and replication in other ecosystems, regions, or feedstock types.
Case Study in the Rural Region of Matarraña-Aragón (Spain)
Aragón-Matarraña (Spain) is the case study analyzed under the LIFE CHANDELIER project. Matarraña is a rural Spanish region with intensive agricultural and livestock activity, declared a Nitrate Vulnerable Zone by the European Commission and one of Europe’s largest producers of olive, wine, and almond products. The results of the LIFE CHANDELIER project will be rigorously tested and validated through a demonstration developed in Spain at the Valderrobres biogas plant, currently operated by project partners GUCO and Genia Bioenergy.
First Meeting of the LIFE CHANDELIER Project Held in Valderrobres-Matarraña
On September 25 and 26, the LIFE CHANDELIER partners met for the inaugural project kick-off meeting in Valderrobres. This meeting was held at the headquarters of the Comarca del Matarraña, a key player in the project. Fernando Camps, the President of the Comarca del Matarraña, opened the meeting by expressing his gratitude and support for the project, highlighting the benefits it will bring to the rural region of Matarraña. Additionally, the work packages that each partner will develop over the next three years were presented, and synergies were created for the successful implementation of the project. Finally, a technical visit to the Valderrobres biogas plant was conducted, where the project’s demonstration action will be carried out.