The commissioning of six new biogas and biomethane plants in Aragon has placed the region at the heart of Spain's renewable gas sector. This represents a significant economic and energy commitment, with a total investment exceeding €130 million and a notable impact on employment, waste management, and emissions reduction.
These facilities are considered by the regional government to be strategic projects for the circular economy and the energy transition . The complexes will be distributed among the three Aragonese provinces and are geared towards both biogas generation and the production of biomethane ready for injection into the gas network, utilizing organic agricultural, livestock, and agri-food waste.
Six projects declared to be of regional interest
The Governing Council has granted the designation of investments of regional interest to these six projects related to organic waste management and renewable gas production. This administrative designation allows for faster processing, given their economic, social, and environmental importance to the region.
In total, the announced investment slightly exceeds €130 million —some sources cite €132 million—and is expected to create approximately 600 jobs across the construction, operation, and logistics phases . Most of this activity will be concentrated in the rural areas where the plants are located, generating economic opportunities in regions that often suffer from depopulation.
The projects are divided into two main groups: three biogas production and recovery plants promoted by Biogas Power and three biomethane plants promoted by Ric Energy . In all cases, the starting point is the same idea: to transform non-hazardous organic waste into renewable energy and byproducts that can be used by the agricultural sector.
From an institutional point of view, the Government of Aragon has highlighted the importance of the fact that the municipalities involved have issued favorable reports , local support that is considered key to the social acceptance of this type of infrastructure.
Location of the plants: biogas and biomethane distributed throughout Aragon
The three biogas plants will be located in Lupiñén (Hoya de Huesca) , Agón (Campo de Borja), and Bujaraloz (Monegros). These facilities will be primarily focused on the valorization of organic byproducts and the generation of biogas, which, after purification, can also be converted into biomethane.
Meanwhile, the three plants focused on biomethane production will be located in San Esteban de Litera (La Litera), Calanda (Bajo Aragón), and Caspe (Bajo Aragón-Caspe/Baix-Aragó Casp). These facilities will be specifically designed for the management of non-hazardous waste and the production of renewable gas suitable for injection into the general natural gas supply network.
With this territorial distribution, the Aragonese government aims to decentralize energy generation and strengthen the role of rural areas in the energy transition. Furthermore, the proximity of the plants to areas with significant agricultural and livestock activity facilitates the supply of raw materials and reduces waste transportation costs.
Taken together, the six projects are part of the push that Aragon has been making in the field of renewables, expanding an energy map where wind and photovoltaic already stand out, and where now biogas and biomethane are making their way as new protagonists.
Investment and employment: a remarkable economic impact
Biogas Power , the company responsible for the three biogas plants, is undertaking projects that represent an investment of €70,4 million . In terms of employment, the company estimates the creation of 210 direct and 60 indirect jobs during the construction phase , in addition to 45 direct and 60 indirect jobs during the operational phase of the facilities.
The planned execution period for these plants is around 24 months from obtaining licenses and authorizations , which is a relatively tight schedule considering the technical complexity of this type of industrial infrastructure.
Meanwhile, the three biomethane plants promoted by Ric Energy represent a combined investment of €61,6 million . In this case, the projected employment is between 95 and 125 jobs during construction , plus 47 jobs during the operational phase and between 47 and 60 logistics positions , for a total estimated employment of up to 232 jobs.
According to the company, the development and construction period for these plants could last up to 44 months . In the long term, the continued operation of these facilities is expected to contribute to consolidating a business network linked to waste management, transportation, and auxiliary services in the affected regions.
How they work: from organic waste to renewable gas
The core technology of these plants is based on anaerobic digestion , a biological process in which microorganisms break down organic matter in the absence of oxygen. From agricultural, livestock, and biodegradable organic waste, a methane-rich gas —biogas— is generated, which can then be purified to obtain biomethane with a quality similar to that of fossil natural gas.
The facilities promoted by Biogas Power will process organic byproducts from livestock farms, agricultural crops, and agri-food industries . The biogas produced will undergo a purification process to increase its methane content and eliminate impurities, resulting in biomethane suitable for various energy uses.
Ric Energy's plants follow a similar logic, but are directly focused on the production of biomethane as a renewable gas . This biomethane will be primarily injected into the general gas network , so that it can be used for heating, industrial processes, or as vehicle fuel, partially or completely replacing fossil gas.
In addition to renewable gas, these facilities produce other valuable products. In the case of biogas plants, the process generates digestate , a nutrient-rich organic amendment that can be used as agricultural fertilizer . In biomethane plants, the main byproduct is digestate , which can also be used in the agricultural sector, thus closing the loop of the circular economy.
Plant infrastructure and design
Each industrial complex is designed as a set of distinct functional zones . First, there is a receiving and preparation area for organic waste , where the raw material is controlled, homogenized, and conditioned before entering the digesters.
Next are the anaerobic digestion and biogas production units , consisting of closed reactors where organic matter is transformed into renewable gas and digestate. These facilities incorporate specific technical equipment to control temperature, agitation, and other key process parameters.
Subsequently, the biogas is transferred to purification and upgrading systems , where undesirable compounds are removed and the methane content is increased to the quality required to be classified as biomethane. Simultaneously, equipment is available for separating the solid and liquid fractions of the digestate , facilitating its management and sale as fertilizer or organic amendment.
All of this is complemented by auxiliary infrastructure : access roads to the plant, power lines for energy supply, and branch lines connecting to existing gas pipelines , which allow biomethane to be injected into the gas network. This last element is key to integrating renewable gas into the energy system without the need to create large new transport infrastructure.
Reduction of emissions and contribution to the circular economy
One of the most frequently repeated arguments by the regional government and the developers is the contribution of these plants to reducing greenhouse gas emissions . Ric Energy's facilities alone are projected to produce the equivalent of 153.000 MWh of biomethane annually , which will prevent the emission of more than 90.000 tons of COâ‚‚ per year.
This is further enhanced by the advantage of valorizing waste that could otherwise generate diffuse methane emissions or environmental problems if not properly managed. By channeling livestock, agricultural, and agri-food waste to these plants, the impact of landfills is reduced, and progress is made toward more sustainable management models.
The use of digestate and digested liquid as organic soil amendments further reinforces the logic of the circular economy: energy is obtained from waste, and by-products are returned to the field as fertilizers, partially or totally replacing inputs of mineral origin.
In the context of the European Union's climate objectives and the national decarbonization strategy, these types of projects position Aragon as a pioneering territory in the deployment of renewable gases , complementing the weight already given to other clean technologies such as solar and wind power.
Institutional support, social debate, and environmental guarantees
During the presentation of the projects, the Vice President and spokesperson for the Government of Aragon, Mar Vaquero, emphasized that biogas and biomethane plants belong to a booming sector closely linked to the circular economy and sustainability. She also stressed that all the projects have the support of the participating municipalities , something the regional government particularly values.
In San Esteban de Litera, for example, the full municipal council unanimously approved a report in favor of the project, while in Calanda and Caspe, the urban planning departments and their respective governing boards also expressed their support. For the regional government, this local support indicates that residents perceive these investments as an opportunity to generate employment and economic activity in their area.
However, the implementation of these types of facilities is not without social debate , especially regarding potential nuisances from odors or environmental impacts . When questioned about these issues, Vaquero stressed that the Executive " will not halt " the projects as long as they comply with the regulations and requirements for obtaining the declaration of regional interest.
The assessment of the impacts falls to the Aragonese Institute for Environmental Management (Inaga) , which establishes specific measures and minimum distances from sensitive infrastructure or nearby facilities. According to the spokesperson, these projects will not be promoted if a clearly negative impact on the environment is detected , beyond the acceptable impact of any industrial installation.
For the Government, the balance lies in reconciling the generation of renewable energy, job creation and environmental protection , while strengthening the administrative processing teams due to the growing number of biogas and biomethane projects in the pipeline.
Aragon, an emerging hub for biogas and biomethane in Spain
With the approval of these six plants, the Government of Aragon has noted that there are already more than 70 similar projects in various stages of development in the region. This reflects the rapid growth of the sector and the increasing interest from investors and specialized companies in the region.
The combination of a strong agricultural and livestock base, land availability, an industrial fabric linked to renewables, and the political impetus for the energy transition make Aragon one of the most dynamic territories in renewable gases within the national landscape.
In addition to generating clean energy, the deployment of these plants helps to add value to byproducts from agriculture and the agri-food industry , sectors with significant weight in the Aragonese economy. The possibility of obtaining additional income from waste management or the sale of digestate and organic fertilizers provides an extra incentive for farms and cooperatives.
All of this, combined with the capacity to reduce emissions and the injection of biomethane into the gas network, reinforces Aragon's position as a leader in the transition to a more decentralized, low-carbon energy model based on local resources . These six plants thus represent a significant step within a broader strategy that focuses on renewables, rural areas, and the circular economy.
