Madrid will host a national demonstration against large-scale biogas and biomethane plants, promoted by the Stop Biogas Spain coordinator. The event will take place at the Puerta de Alcalá on September 27 at 12:00, with the participation of more than fifty neighborhood associations and platforms from different territories.
The objective, according to the organizers, is to stop a deployment that they consider harmful to the rural world and public health. They denounce that, under the label of “green energy”, facilities with impacts that go beyond what is communicated would be promoted, affecting aquifers, agricultural soils and air quality.
Call: where, when and who calls
The mobilization is driven by the Stop Biogas Spain coordinator and more than 50 neighborhood platforms, a reflection of the biogas boomAmong the members are local groups such as the Platform against the Castilléjar Biomethane Macroplant and “Biogas, Not Like This – Jambrina Fight”, in addition to regions that have announced their presence, such as the RiberaThe most repeated slogan will be “Neither in your town nor in mine.”
The organizers insist that this is a peaceful protest open to the public. With this action, they aim to highlight that the debate is not only technical but also social: what development model what the people want and who decides on its implementation.
Reasons for the protest
The organizing platforms maintain that these macro-plants process waste such as Slurry from large farms, sewage sludge, slaughterhouse by-products, alperujos, and even industrial waste. In his opinion, the resulting by-product (digestate) may contain heavy metals, resistant bacteria and nitrates which, when used as fertilizer, end up spreading over agricultural fields and filtering into aquifers.
Another of his criticisms is the absence of a specific legislation and territorial planning that limits the concentration of projects. They warn of the "cumulative effect" when several facilities coexist within a few kilometers, a scenario that, they point out, is not adequately evaluated and could generate synergistic impacts about the environment.
They also criticize some administrations for declaring these plants as “public interest"to expedite procedures, which, according to the groups, reduces transparency guarantees, curtails citizen participation, and facilitates tax or administrative advantages. In several municipalities, they add, there have been difficulties in accessing files and technical documentation.
The organizers warn that a massive deployment could lead to a major environmental problem if planning errors are not corrected. They compare it to situations experienced in the past, where poor management and lack of foresight They have amplified territorial crises and call for action before the damage becomes irreversible.
Demands and messages of the movement
Stop Biogas Spain and the associated associations call for the immediate stoppage of the projects already approved, in process or on public display, as well as the ban on new mega-farms and the expansion of existing ones. They demand a decentralized energy model, with greater public control and real participation of residents.
- Potable water free of contaminants.
- Fertile land for quality agri-food production.
- Clean Air and healthy for future generations.
- Un fair and sustainable energy model, designed with and for the territory.
The messages “We are not a land of sacrifice" and "Neither in your town nor in mine" summarize the position of the organizers: to oppose the implementation of macro-installations that, they claim, outsource environmental and social costs on rural areas without their approval.
Territorial support and local voices
From Castilléjar, its neighborhood platform emphasizes that it will not accept projects that could compromise its aquifers, their farmlands and the health. Collectives such as “Biogas, No Way Out – Jambrina Lucha” share the diagnosis and point out that they do not want to turn agricultural regions into “landfills of the energy transitionThe Ribera region, among others, has also confirmed that it will join the mobilization.
The participating entities insist that they want to decide the direction of their territory: they request truthful information, transparent procedures and summative assessments rigorous. They assure that the debate is not about being against renewable energy, but avoid macro projects that may generate adverse effects and opt for locally adjusted alternatives.
With a broad turnout, a defined location and time, and an argument focused on protecting rural areas, the protest seeks to place the limits and conditions of these facilities on the public agenda: strong legal guarantees, effective participation and decisions that prioritize health, water and land over any other considerations.