In the Netherlands, Renewi plc, an Anglo-Dutch waste-to-product company, and Sweden-headed energy major Vattenfall Group have initiated a new partnership whereby Vattenfall will purchase green gas from Renewi.
Vattenfall is the first Swedish energy company to have its target of net-zero emissions in 2040 verified by the Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi). According to the company, green gas (aka biomethane or renewable natural gas- RNG) plays an important role in the transition to fossil freedom.
The production and use of green gas help to achieve the climate goals in the field of carbon dioxide (CO2) reduction and help the Netherlands to become less dependent on fossil gas imports.
One of the Dutch climate goals is to produce 2 billion Nm3 of green gas annually in the Netherlands by 2030. Furthermore, by 2030, 20 percent of the gas consumed by households and small businesses must be produced sustainably.
The Netherlands currently produces approximately 250 million Nm3 of green gas annually.
Green gas works just as well as natural gas, whether we use it for heating, for hot water, or cooking. By using more green gas, we make our lives at home a little more sustainable. In this way, we help society move forward and work towards freedom from fossil fuels, said Cindy Kroon, Vattenfall’s Customer Director for the Dutch market.
State-of-the-art AD plant
Vattenfall has committed to purchasing more than 7.5 million Nm3 of RNG annually from Renewi. The RNG is produced in a state-of-the-art Renewi Organics plant in Amsterdam.
Organic waste streams such as food waste from restaurants and canteens, and expired foodstuffs from supermarkets, are collected and digested in this anaerobic digestion (AD) plant.
Following raw biogas upgrading to biomethane, the green gas it is injected into the gas grid blending with fossil gas. Renewi is expected to start supplying green gas in the spring of 2024.
By converting waste streams into new, more sustainable raw materials, we are working towards a cleaner world. The collaboration with Vattenfall is a great example of getting as much value as possible from waste and making a substantial contribution to the circular economy. The supply of green gas contributes to achieving the climate objective; The Netherlands will be climate neutral by 2050, said Marc den Hartog, Director of Renewi Commercial Waste Netherlands.
