SPOTLIGHT represents for ACEA the possibility to give value to the CO2 produced by the biomethane plant

ACEA is a public multi-utility company, providing services in the water, energy and environmental sectors, the reference point at a regional level for the organic waste treatment.

The ACEA Waste Treatment Plant was established in 2003 to initially serve only the Pinerolo area (150˙000 inhabitants).

Currently, the organic waste treatment line is a reference at a regional (Piedmont) level, with a potential capacity of 60˙000 t/year (to be enlarged to 90˙000 t/year), serving roughly 1˙000˙000 inhabitants and it produces both biogas for production of electricity and thermal energy, the excess of which sold to national district using CHP system (until September 2020), and compost for agriculture.

Thanks to the partnership between HYSYTECH and Acea Pinerolese Industriale, a new biomethane plant in Piemonte, which treats up to 1,500 Standard cubic meters per hour of biogas, was recently opened, thus integrating the first plant in Italy producing pipeline biomethane from municipal organic waste.

In fact, starting from September 2020, biomethane is produced with a biogas valorisation process obtained from the anaerobic treatment of organic waste (food waste) and is injected into the natural gas distribution network connected with houses, shops, small industries of the territory and, above all, the fuel stations selling CNG (Compressed Natural Gas – methane for cars). The production rate is 800 Standard cubic meters per hour of biomethane.

Since many EU Countries have planned and put into operation biogas plants, this practice could be inspiring to implement existing plants for the production of biomethane for buildings and sustainable mobility.

SPOTLIGHT represents for ACEA the possibility to give value to the CO₂ produced by the biomethane plant: in fact, the inlet biogas flow is composed by the 40% of CO₂ for a total of 600 Nm³/h, the outlet CO₂ flow is characterized by the 98% of CO₂, so this is the opportunity to give value and a new life to ACEA bio-CO₂.