The Catalan Water Agency promotes 90MW of solar energy and will double biogas production

The ACA, the agency responsible for the supervision and proper functioning of the water cycle in Catalonia, also wants to contribute with this plan to the decarbonization process of the economy and be an agent that contributes to the fight against the climate emergency by reducing CO₂ emissions and promoting the energy self-sufficiency of wastewater treatment plants.

It should be noted that all the water treatment plants distributed throughout the Catalan regions add up to an energy consumption equivalent to 1% of the electricity consumed annually in Catalonia, a volume that the Generalitat considers very high and to which it now wants to respond with this program to incentivize self-consumption.

The plan contemplates three lines of action: a determined commitment to photovoltaic generation, doubling biogas production, and increasing the energy efficiency of treatment facilities. These three axes should allow this year to increase energy production from own renewable sources from 14% to 18%, with the aim that later this figure will cover 78% of the consumption of Catalan treatment plants.

A large part of the planned investment of 159 million euros will be allocated to the installation of photovoltaic panels in wastewater treatment plants. Specifically, the ACA wants to reach an installed capacity of more than 90 MW and has already tendered a first contract of 3.3 million euros to implement solar energy in 29 treatment plants.

Thus, to reach this 18% of own renewable energy in the water cycle, it is expected that by 2021 some 65 treatment plants will already have photovoltaic installations. In this first tender, distributed in six lots, 2.4 MWp of power will be installed, which will generate about 3,000 MWh/a of solar energy for self-consumption. The panels will be placed in the treatment plants under ACA management that register the highest consumption: Igualada, Martorell, Masquefa, Piera, Vallbona d'Anoia, Abrera, Castellbell i el Vilar, Monistrol de Montserrat, Vacarisses, Viladecavalls, Gelida, Montornès, Rubí, Terrassa, Mora d'Ebre, Torredembarra, Vila-seca i Salou, Agramunt, Alcarràs, Balaguer, Bellpuig, Les Borges Blanques, Solsona, Cassà de la Selva, la Bisbal, la Jonquera and Santa Coloma de Farners.

Previously, the ACA had already awarded an investment of over one million euros to set up two solar parks in the two Sabadell treatment plants (Riu Sec and Ripoll), with an estimated production of 1,350 MWh/year. This volume is equivalent to the annual consumption of 200 homes and will prevent the emission of 625 tons of CO₂. The two Sabadell parks will occupy an area of 11,500 square meters and will have 1,873 solar modules.

Another treatment plant that will be equipped with a solar plant is Valls, which will have 250 panels that will guarantee 20% of its energy needs. This project will require an investment of 110,300 euros and will produce 186,405 KWh/year.

New biogas cogeneration engines

The second major axis of the ACA's energy efficiency plan is the generation and use of biogas resulting from wastewater treatment processes. Currently, the network of treatment plants already generates about 44GWh/year with biogas, which represents 14% of renewable consumption and translates into savings of 4.3 million euros per year on the electricity bill.

In the next seven years, the challenge is to double this biogas production, going from 14% to 37%. Among the highlighted actions is the commissioning of a new cogeneration engine in the Girona treatment plant and new facilities to harness biogas in Vilafranca del Penedès and in the Navarcles-Sant Fruitós de Bages treatment plant.

Finally, the decarbonization and energy expenditure reduction plan involves achieving a 10% decrease in consumption with the introduction of new energy efficiency measures in sanitation centers. Thus, the aim is to promote ISO 50.001 certifications in all EDARs that are large electricity consumers and consume more than 200,000 kWh/year (a total of 137 treatment plants).