From home kitchens to fuel pumps for waste collection vehicles: the complex process that, starting from organic waste produced at home (the so-called FORSU, Organic Fraction of Solid Urban Waste), leads to the production of quality biomethane, an ecological fuel that in recent years has increasingly established itself as an important and valuable source of renewable energy, is based on the green philosophy.
From organic waste to biomethane to reduce CO2
To limit the increase in global temperature and prevent the devastating effects of ongoing climate change, it is necessary to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and, in particular, those from the road transport sector, which is one of the items with the greatest environmental impact. Biomethane is certainly a valid ally in this challenge, considering that it has the same yield as fossil fuel, but with significant benefits for air quality. It should also be remembered that biomethane not only allows CO2 emissions to be reduced but also allows the gas to be intercepted before it is dispersed into the atmosphere and, therefore, effectively reduces the greenhouse effect.
Transforming waste into resources is one of the missions of AEMME Linea Ambiente and the Legnano plant in via Novara inaugurated in March 2022, responds precisely to this desire. It can treat up to 52,400 tons of waste per year (40 thousand of wet waste collected in the municipalities where ALA carries out the urban hygiene and waste collection service and the remaining 12,400 of green cuttings). Through an upgrading process, the biogas produced is transformed into biomethane, which is then fed, through a network of high-pressure pipes, into the system managed by Snam SpA
Methane-powered vehicles for waste collection
Thanks to an agreement between Green Fuel Company SpA (a giant in the energy sector dedicated to the sale of natural gas to end customers throughout the country) and Bioenerys (a company 100% controlled by Snam), which manages the Legnano plant, Green Fuel is committed to reserving 500 thousand cubic meters of biomethane per year for AEMME Linea Ambiente vehicles, thus allowing the same vehicles that operate every day in our territories for waste collection and urban hygiene to be powered by renewable energy. ALA serves 19 municipalities, for a total of over 300 thousand inhabitants. The company fleet is made up of 279 vehicles (12 of which are electric). Of the 140 thousand tons of waste that ALA manages per year, 105 thousand are sent for recovery, with an average percentage of separate waste collection that stands at 75%.
Returning to the agreement between Green Fuel Company SpA and Bioenerys, it is a good example of circular economy, which is good for the environment and the air we breathe.
