This project leverages the complementarity of ENSO’s Bioeléctrica de Garray industrial activities through a CO₂ capture plant operated by Carburos Metálicos.
The project’s launch will prevent the emission of thousands of tons of CO₂ annually and avoid approximately 100,000 km per year of road transport for liquid CO₂.
Carburos Metálicos strengthens its presence in Castile and León while expanding its CO₂ production capacity in Spain.
The project is supported by the European Union’s LIFE Program, promoting sustainable development and achieving environmental and climate objectives.
Carburos Metálicos, a leading company in the industrial and medical gases sector in Spain and part of the Air Products Group, will build and operate a plant for recovery, purification, and reuse of CO₂ from ENSO’s Bioeléctrica de Garray biomass power plant. The biomass plant will also provide the energy and steam required for CO₂ capture and processing. The plant is expected to begin operations in June 2021.
The project will prevent the emission of thousands of tons of CO₂ into the atmosphere and eliminate the need for 100,000 kilometers of road transport per year to deliver CO₂ to Carburos Metálicos clients in Castile and León and neighboring regions, serving industries such as food and beverages.
Carburos Metálicos and ENSO (Bioeléctrica de Garray) Sign Agreement to Capture and Reuse Green CO₂ in Soria
Thus, with this agreement and the new plant, Carburos Metálicos increases its production capacity, strengthens its leadership in the Spanish carbon dioxide market, and promotes a circular economy model by using a renewable source of CO₂, capturing and reusing a resource that would otherwise be wasted.
The Garray biomass plant, operational since 2013, has a 17 MWe electricity generation capacity and uses forest biomass from pruning and forest cleaning, as well as agro-industrial by-products such as grape pomace, contributing to fire prevention and adding value to these residues.
The project for the new CO₂ capture, purification, and utilization facility in Garray is financed by the European Union LIFE Program, established in 1992 to support and fund actions aimed at environmental protection and climate change mitigation. Project website: www.lifeco2intbio.eu.
“This strategic alliance once again demonstrates that sustainability is at the core of Carburos Metálicos’ activities. It also contributes to our strategic goal ‘Third by ’30,’ which aims to reduce the Air Products Group’s carbon footprint by one third by 2030, based on 2015 levels. Locally, this innovative circular economy project allows us to continue increasing sustainability and efficiency by expanding production capacity in the region while simultaneously reducing CO₂ emissions from road distribution of our products. In this way, we also benefit neighboring communities through improved air quality,” said Miquel Lope, General Manager of Carburos Metálicos.
“This is another step in our strategy to optimize Bioeléctrica de Garray, aligned with our vision of a more sustainable world based on a circular economy. With this project, we bring together our core pillars—renewable energy and innovation—and reinforce our commitment to local development,” commented Emilio Luis López Carmona, CEO of ENSO.
About Carburos Metálicos
Carburos Metálicos is a leading company in the industrial and medical gases sector, producing, distributing, and selling gases for multiple industries, including metallurgy, glass, water, food, medical, energy, petrochemical, laboratories, freezing, refrigeration, winemaking, leisure, and beverages.
Founded in 1897, the company has been part of the U.S.-based Air Products Group (NYSE: APD) since 1995. Air Products is one of the world’s leading industrial gas companies, reporting $8.9 billion in sales in 2020 across 50 countries, with a market capitalization of around $60 billion and more than 19,000 employees worldwide.
For more information, visit www.carburos.com or Twitter and LinkedIn