Nedgia studies in Valencia the viability of producing renewable gas from rice straw

Nedgia, the natural gas distributor of the Naturgy , has launched a pilot test in Paterna (Valencia) to study the feasibility of producing renewable gas from rice straw using anaerobic digestion technology.

The project, which will last five months, will be carried out at the AINIA Technology Centre in Paterna, a leading R&D entity in the field of anaerobic digestion and biogas production from organic waste, and will have the support of the engineering firm Genia Bioenergy, which specializes in biomethanization plants.

The aim is to obtain biogas using anaerobic digestion technology. This biogas will then be purified and enriched to meet the quality standards required for injection into Nedgia's distribution network, and will also produce a fertilizer that can be reapplied to agriculture. Therefore, this solution is geared towards a circular economy model, reusing energy waste (renewable gas) and materials (fertilizers), thus reducing local pollution and greenhouse gas emissions.

This experimental trial seeks to solve the environmental problem in the Valencian Community with the management of rice cultivation waste, and would be applicable in other rice-producing areas such as Andalusia or the Ebro Delta.

If the project's viability is positive, it would have a significant economic and social impact on the Valencian Community and would help to conserve the flora and fauna of the Albufera Natural Park, a protected area of ​​natural interest.

Renewable gas is a green energy source with zero CO2 emissions _that is fully interchangeable with natural gas, so it can be distributed through the more than 87,000 kilometers of existing gas infrastructure and used for the same energy applications in homes, industries, businesses and also for mobility in transport.