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 viability 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 Center in Paterna, a leading R&D entity in the field of anaerobic digestion and biogas production from organic waste, and will have the support from Genia Bioenergy engineering, specialized in biomethanation plants.

Using anaerobic digestion technology, the aim is to obtain biogas, which would subsequently be purified and enriched so that it has a quality suitable for injection into the Nedgia distribution network, in addition to a fertilizer product that can be applied, again, in agriculture. . It is, therefore, a solution focused on a circular economy model, in which energy waste (renewable gas) and materials (fertilizers) are reused, reducing local pollution and greenhouse gases.

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

If the viability of the project was positive, the project would have an important economic and social impact on the Community and would help the conservation of the flora and fauna of the Albufera Natural Park, a protected area of ​​natural interest.

Renewable gas is a green energy with zero CO ₂ that is completely interchangeable with natural gas, so it can be distributed through the more than 87,000 kilometers of existing gas infrastructure and used with the same energy applications in homes, industries, businesses and also for transportation mobility.