The Zaragoza City Council is working on the construction of a facility that will be an addition to the Waste Treatment Complex (CTRUZ) where all of the rubbish remnants that are presently not collected and end up in the landfill will be converted into elements as valuable as hydrogen and methanol.
It is a cutting-edge refinery that would complement the Circular Biocarbon project, which was unveiled in June 2021.
The goal of making Zaragoza one of the 100 Climate Neutral Cities by 2030 depends in large part on the CTRUZ plant, one of the most cutting-edge in Europe. The trick capital actually has one of the highest rates of global waste recovery (53%). The current target, however, is far more ambitious and calls for recovering 100% of the waste, either through energy production or material reuse, as has been done so far, or by turning these leftovers, particularly those that are not recyclable, into substances like methanol and hydrogen.
In order to completely close the circle of waste management, non-recyclable fractions should not be dumped or burned. Also, through advancing the circular economy in the city and reducing CO2 emissions, the Zero Waste goal would be accomplished. Since the current restrictions require the governments to pay considerable sums for each tonne that ends up in the landfill, this project would result in enormous long-term financial savings.
Two stages make up the Zaragoza Zero Waste Project:
Zero trash to landfills from 2023 to 2028
A non-recyclable waste refinery that can process the 150,000 tonnes of waste that are disposed of yearly in the CTRUZ-controlled landfill is being built, tested, and put into operation.
The OMNI200 system, which turns waste into synthesis gas (a gas primarily composed of hydrogen and carbon monoxide (H2 and CO)), forms the refinery’s central component. The proposed plant will save about 100,000 tonnes of CO2 equivalent in emissions and produce 66,000 tonnes of methanol annually using two synthesis gas processing lines (the equivalent of a forest of 580,000 trees).
In the final quarter of 2026, the waste refinery’s first treatment line is expected to start operating. The volume of rubbish being dumped in landfills will be cut in half going forward.
In 2028, the second line is anticipated to be operational. With this, not only will the zero waste objective be extremely near to being achieved, but additional methane emissions will also be prevented in the controlled deposit, resulting in a reduction of around 90,000 tonnes of CO2 equivalent per year (those that would decrease a forest of more than 500,000 trees).
These goods produced in the waste refinery will be regarded as being made from recycled carbons under the recently approved extension of the RED 2018/2001 Directive on renewable energy, and because of their extremely low carbon footprints, they will help the world reach its renewable energy goals.
188.1 million euros are the projected investment for this first phase.
2030 deadline of no net emissions
Zaragoza will develop into a centre for the electrolytic production of green hydrogen using local renewable energy sources.
In order to convert the CO2 it has absorbed throughout its operation into 70,000 tonnes of E-methanol, the waste refinery will require nearly 14,000 tonnes of green hydrogen. The goal of net zero emissions will be achieved once this phase is operational and all methanol produced has a “zero” carbon footprint.
91.4 million euros will be invested in this second phase of the E-methanol manufacturing.
The project will cost roughly 280 million euros in total, and it will be self-financing thanks to the sale of the methanol produced in the plant to chemical industries for use in the production of plastics and other goods. Additionally, it will be possible to rely on European funds from a number of direct programmes of the European Commission, which support projects that are innovative, reduce carbon emissions, or promote the circular economy, for the initial investment.
Zaragoza aspires to be the first city in the world with zero trash going to landfills and zero emissions from waste management when the initiative is completely operational in 2030.
