Genia Bioenergy has announced its plan to build a biomethane plant in Vilches, Jaén, that will provide a sustainable waste management solution for the pig farming and olive oil industries in the Condado region.

For Vilches’ mayor, Adrián Sánchez, this project: “Will position Vilches at the forefront of sustainable energy generation, contributing to the socio-economic development of the municipality, boosting livestock farming and agro-industry. This project brings an investment of over 25 million euros to Vilches, will solve an environmental problem, and will generate jobs—three major benefits that perfectly summarize what the biomethane plant means for our locality.”

Genia Bioenergy’s Sustainable Development Director, Íñigo Palacio, stated at the project’s presentation event at the Mirador de la Esperanza in the town that: “The intention is to build a facility capable of processing and converting up to 125,000 tons of manure and olive pomace annually into biomethane, compost, and organic fertilizers, using a natural biological process based on the anaerobic digestion of waste.”

It will be a state-of-the-art facility located on a 27-hectare plot and will have the capacity to produce more than 84 GWh/year of biomethane, a renewable gas that can perfectly replace fossil-based natural gas in domestic, industrial, or automotive applications once injected into the gas transport network.

This plant is estimated to involve an investment of more than 25 million euros.

In addition to biomethane, the facility will produce more than 57,000 tons of liquid organic fertilizer precursors and nearly 10,000 tons of compost, which will be used to improve the soil of olive groves, creating a circular economy model.

As for construction timelines, administrative procedures still need to be completed, and construction is expected to take approximately one year, during which around 25 direct jobs and up to 75 indirect jobs would be created.

Once operational, the plant will provide 12 long-term direct jobs (with a lifespan of approximately 25 years for a biomethane plant) and up to 55 indirect jobs.

The project’s presentation event was attended by Vilches’ mayor, Adrián Sánchez, the delegate of the Andalusian Government in Jaén, Jesús M. Estrella, and the provincial deputy of Employment and Enterprise, Luis Miguel Carmona, alongside pig farmers and representatives of local cooperatives and oil mills, who all expressed their support for the initiative.

Both manure and olive pomace are difficult-to-manage bio-waste with significant potential for contamination and greenhouse gas emissions if not handled correctly.

With this facility, farmers and oil mills in the Condado region will have a sustainable, clean, circular economy alternative that will allow them to reduce waste management costs, the traceability-related paperwork (which will be handled by the plant), and free up space on their premises, as large reservoirs will no longer be necessary, reducing discomfort for local residents.

Through direct investment, job creation, and environmental benefits, the project will provide a significant boost to the local economy, as well as contribute to the decarbonization of the economy and energy independence in Spain.

This project brings Jaén and Andalusia closer to meeting European, national, and regional circular economy, energy transition, and climate change goals (the European Circular Economy Plan, EU Directive 2018/850 on waste management, treatment, and recovery for municipalities, Spain’s Climate Change and Energy Transition Law, the 2021-2030 Goals of the PNIEC by IDEA, and the Andalusian Energy Strategy 2030).