On Thursday 21 September, the Torre Santamaría biomethane plant was recognised as the Best Environmental Integration Initiative at the second El Periódico de la Energía Awards.

Axpo Iberia and Sorigué were the driving forces behind this project, which aimed to convert all the agri-food waste produced by cows at the Torre Santamaría farm into biomethane, a gas that is injected directly into the grid.

El Periódico de la Energía recognised both companies’ contributions as a pioneering example in the production of biomethane produced from livestock and their efforts to reach the environmental, energy and climate targets set by the European Union for 2030.

The awards ceremony took place during the second edition of the Noche de la Energía, organised by the digital newspaper at the Auditorio Rafael del Pino in Madrid and attended by over 100 people.

The awards recognised the best initiatives and projects from this year by companies and public administrations, and attendees included most of the key influential figures from the energy sector.

Award ceremony

Ignacio Soneira, CEO of Axpo Iberia, and Joan Pons, Director of Innovation at Sorigué, collected the award alongside Carlos Lacleta, Legal Director at Forestalia, the company that sponsored this category.

The finalists in this category were Texla Renovables and Bruc, for their PFV Fuentes project, and Aquila Clean Energy, for its Iberian Harrier Conservation Campaign in La Sagra, in the communities of Madrid and Toledo.

The event also involved the participation of Teresa Ribera Rodríguez, the Third Vice-President of the Spanish government and Minister for the Ecological Transition and the Demographic Challenge, and Ramón Roca, director and founder of El Periódico de la Energía.

First producer of biomethane from livestock

The Noguera Renovables biomethane plant project at the Torre Santamaría farm is not only the first livestock farm in Spain to produce biomethane from the excrement of its more than 2,300 cows, but it is also the first of its kind to inject biomethane directly into the gas network.

The companies Axpo Iberia and Sorigué purchased 80% of the Torre Santamaría biomethane plant a few months ago with the goal of promoting this groundbreaking project and investing 15 million euros, in addition to the 4 million euros already invested.

The biomethane production plant, located in Balaguer (Lleida), currently injects 26 GWh into the gas network. It is one of seven similar plants currently operating on the Iberian Peninsula and the first to run entirely on livestock waste.

The project was also recognised as the best biogas project at the 2023 Bioenergy Awards. It stands out as a benchmark for the circular economy in Catalonia, inspiring other livestock farms to consider using their waste to produce energy.