A world with new and pressing needs requires innovative solutions; It depends on getting terms like “transformation” to create a real paradigm shift. The field of generating new “resilient and non-polluting” energy sources, as described in the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal 7, is one of the most advantageous, due to the need to optimize resources and accelerate decarbonization. In this research, the Spanish company Ence has found a way to build an ecosystem that coexists with modern cellulose manufacturing and renewable energy production based on circular economy principles. The nexus point between commercial activity and energy transition has made it the largest biomass manager on the Iberian Peninsula.
The company processes more than five million tons of agricultural, forestry and livestock waste annually as the basis for its renewable energy generation platform. The use of these residues of natural origin allows the generation of this biomass, which is subsequently converted into various forms of energy that support their industrial processes in the soil – more than 90% of the consumption of the bioprocessors in Navia and Pontevedra is already renewable – while exporting the surplus, contributing to the decarbonisation of the electrical mix globally.
Renewable thermal
Within the various fields of green energy generation from biomass, Ence works on renewable thermal energy generation through its subsidiary Magnon. In this context, the goal is to achieve a supply of 2,000 GWh to its industrial customers in 2030. To achieve this, the company has a plant in operation, where three other projects for reference customers in the Spanish agri-food sector are currently being implemented. These latest projects consist of the construction and commissioning of biomass facilities, which will cover annual demand of 85, 43 and 40 GW/year respectively, and are currently in the construction phase. At this point, we have to complete the project in the construction phase at a rate of 33 GW/year.
INS is dedicated to innovation to create special cellulose, of natural origin, which replaces plastic-derived materials and which reduces carbon dioxide.
There are new types of fuel
This innovation has prompted Ince to explore another direction, renewable fuels, through bio-based carbon dioxide, which is also generated from biomass. This gas, which is not a waste but a valuable material, is the basis on which the company works to produce renewable methanol, a clean fuel necessary to decarbonize sectors that are difficult to electrify, such as maritime or air transport, and to ensure that we stop relying on fossil fuels. Currently, the company annually produces around four million tons of biocarbon dioxide, and through its biorefineries and plants in Mérida, Portolano and Huelva, its goal is to create a hub for renewable fuel production. Another circular application of this waste management is the manufacture of biofertilizers, which transform an environmental problem in many regions into an agricultural option that respects the surrounding environment. Organic waste coming from the farm is transformed here into an element that improves the structure of cultivated land, helps avoid nitrate pollution found in conventional fertilizer water, and when produced with related materials, reduces fossil energy consumption. At the same time as Ence specializes in renewable energy generation and other biomass derivatives, it has also applied innovation to develop cellulose-based solutions for greater environmental efficiency.
Natural and biodegradable cellulose One of the company’s greatest achievements is the launch of fluff cellulose, produced at the Navia bioplant, in the last quarter of this year. This material, which is essential for the production of absorbent and hygienic products such as Banalese, is a natural and biodegradable fibre, which works to replace plastic derivatives and break the dependence on imports from North America, significantly reducing the logistics carbon footprint. The company’s current forecasts indicate that the special cellulose it produces will represent more than 60% of its sales in 2028, including 125,000 tons of this new cellulose.
Finally, Ince’s activity also represents a positive impact and support for the rural environment. The Department of Forestry and Agricultural Biomass creates jobs in different areas of Spain threatened by population migration, in tasks such as collection, logistics and resource processing. At the same time, biomass management is a fire prevention tool, clearing forest remnants in mountains that spread fires, the intensity of which is increasing in the current context of climate change.
A major environmental resource for the European Union
The European Renewable Energy Directive defines biomass as “the biodegradable fraction of products, residues and wastes of biological origin resulting from agricultural activities, including materials of plant and animal origin.” Through thermochemical or biochemical methods, these organic residues can be directed to obtain energy, which is an alternative that has environmental benefits, as it is carbon neutral, can replace fossil fuels and can also be used to generate chemical-free biofertilizers. Due to its environmental advantages and circularity principle, the EU sees as its primary directive the mobilization of new biomass resources and the finding of various applications for this material.