Lence, Norvento and Agroamb will drive the RIAZOR project, an innovative biogas generation plant through the circular management of agri-food waste

• The project, with a planned investment of 7.5 million euros, will avoid the emission of 37,300 tonnes of CO2 equivalent during its useful life.
  
• The facility will have a capacity to manage more than 55,000 tonnes of waste a year and has been presented as a candidate for the first call of the European Commission’s ‘Innovation Fund – Small Scale’.
  
• The main objective of this facility, which will be located in the O CEAO industrial estate (Lugo), is to recover waste from the agri-food sector (especially dairy), turning it into biomethane that can be injected into the natural gas grid, promoting a model of sustainable circular economy and proximity.

Lugo, 29^th March 2021.- Lence, a leading group in the production of dairy products, Norvento, a company in the renewable energy sector, and Agroamb, a business group linked to the agricultural sector and a pioneer in the valorisation of organic waste in Galicia, have joined forces to promote an ambitious initiative, the RIAZOR project, an innovative circular waste management and biogas generation plant on the O CEAO industrial estate (Lugo). 

The RIAZOR project, for which an investment of 7.5 million euros is envisaged, will valorise organic and non-hazardous waste generated mainly in the dairy industry, although it will offer other agri-food industries and local public bodies the opportunity to manage their waste in a facility, which combines a biogas plant, a wetland system and a biological system for the elimination of odours. 

It is estimated that the RIAZOR plant will have the capacity to manage an average of 55,000 tonnes of waste per year, which will generate biogas that will be injected and marketed through the national natural gas grid. The circular and proximity economy model on which it is based will enable the project to be economically sustainable by its own activity through the commercialisation of clean energy. It is estimated that, during its useful life, the plant will avoid greenhouse gas emissions of 37,300 tonnes of CO2 equivalent, linked to waste management. 

In addition, the digestate from the biogas plant will generate organic compost for the primary sector and a liquid effluent that will be treated in a wetland installation on the site, ensuring that other chemical compounds, such as nitrogen, are efficiently captured in the process, meeting the highest water quality standards for reuse in industrial applications. Finally, the plant will have a biological odour treatment system to trap odorous compounds, minimising environmental impact. 

A commitment to a sustainable and local circular economy 

The RIAZOR project presents a unique innovative approach based on three pillars: sustainability, proximity and circularity, in line with the European strategy to promote the green economy. For this reason, it has been submitted to the first call of the ‘Innovation Fund – Small Scale’ of the European Commission. 

The project, which will provide an optimal solution for the use of waste from the dairy industry, is sustainable thanks to a business model based on the generation of biomethane and its commercialisation through the natural gas grid. The material and energy flows are closed, making it a zero waste plant that has also been designed with the idea of managing nearby waste from local companies and public bodies in the immediate vicinity. 

Carmen Lence, President of Lence, underlines that “the development of this initiative is a clear example of the Grupo Lence’s commitment to sustainability as a crosscutting principle in all our activities. Respect for the environment is part of our DNA and the implementation of this plant is a great step forward as it will allow us to close a circle by achieving a significant reduction in our emissions, minimising our carbon footprint and reusing our waste, which will undoubtedly have positive effects on the environment.”

Pablo Fernández Castro, President and CEO of Norvento Enerxía, highlights that “the agri-food sector is strategic to achieve the European plans to reach a carbon-neutral society by 2050. For this reason, the efficient management of its waste is essential to move towards a green and sustainable economy. We are happy to work together with benchmarks such as Lence and Agroamb to make such an innovative project as the RIAZOR project a reality.”

Severiano Ónega, CEO of Grupo Agroamb, acknowledges that “we are pleased that something we have been doing for 20 years and that we learned from watching our parents, today we can transfer it to society hand in hand with leaders in their sector such as Lence and Norvento to make Lugo a reference in the field of sustainability.”

About Lence

Based in Lugo, Lence is a family group operating in the food industry since 1975. It now employs 160 people and has 3 production plants. It is the sixth largest UHT milk producer in Spain. It markets the highest quality dairy products through Río de Galicia and Leyma Natura, mainly brands aimed at supplying customers with products and services with the best quality/price ratio on the market, what are known as “intelligent purchasing”. It works with 450 Galician farms and packs only in Galicia. It has the “Gallega 100%” and Galicia Calidade certification, as well as the Aenor certification for Animal Welfare.

About Norvento

Norventois a Spanish renewable technologies company with a comprehensive capacity for action. Based in Lugo (Galicia), it is a family company with Spanish capital and has been operating in the market for decades. Norvento’s activity in the renewable energy sector covers both centralised generation with large wind farms and distributed generation with solutions for the industrial sector, as well as the manufacture of medium-power wind turbines, converters and energy storage systems. With a presence in various international markets, Norvento currently has more than 250 MW of renewable generation plants in operation, more than 750 MW developed and more than 1,000 MW under development, both in Spain and in other markets.

About Agroamb

The Grupo Agroamb’s values are based on its family origins and its roots in the Terra Chá region, in the province of Lugo. The companies that make up the group are involved in the production of fodder crops, the provision of agricultural services (servitisation) and they close the cycle with the recovery of organic waste from the agri-food sector through innovative practices for the production of agricultural fertilisers. Agroamb is a pioneer in the implementation of a circular economy model in its sector and is currently a member of the Executive Committee of the Spanish Network of the United Nations Global Compact. Its activity, in which the Sustainable Development Goals are set as a guide to follow, has been recognised with various environmental awards, such as the European Business Award for the Environment in the Process category.