The production of biomethane in rural environments is a clear example of a circular bioeconomy model. In this process, organic remains from other sectors such as agriculture or livestock become an element of value to generate, on the one hand, clean energy, and on the other a by-product, the digestate, which until now was not taken into account.
biomethane plants Biovic, the leading Spanish company in engineering and execution of sustainable energy projects behind the major initiatives in the biomethane and biogas sector in Spain, have the capacity to convert this by-product into a key strategic element for the future of agriculture in Spain: organic fertilizers that facilitate water retention in agricultural soils, and at the same time contribute to the fight against climate change thanks to their ability to trap CO2 of the atmosphere. In fact, each 1% increase in organic matter can retain up to 150.000 additional liters of water per hectare.
This is because these fertilizers provide carbon to the agricultural soil, and carbon-rich crop soils favor water retention and reduced evaporation, a fundamental aspect in drought situations, such as the one that affects an important part of Spain. Specifically, the application of compost between 12 and 24 t/ha produces increases in the water retention capacity available to plants of between 22% and 45%. Other works report increases in useful water between 30 and 65%, with the highest values corresponding to coarse-textured soils and the lowest to clay-textured soils.
This increase is crucial for agricultural regions that face irregular volumes of rainfall and prolonged drought conditions since, by retaining water, the irrigation needs of these surfaces also decrease in the same proportion.
In the biomethane projects designed by Biovic, the digestate goes from being a by-product to a sustainable solution to promote the fertility and water retention of agricultural soils. Biovic has successfully implemented more than 50 projects on three continents, promoting its circular bioeconomy model.
Digests are emerging as a key strategic element for the future of agriculture in Spain, facilitating better use of water in agriculture and at the same time contributing to the fight against climate change.
Increases the soil's ability to trap CO2 and improve the carbon footprint
The application of digestates not only improves the fertility and water retention of soils, increasing the availability of water for crops, but also contributes significantly to carbon capture, aligning these practices with global recommendations for resilient and sustainable agriculture. . In Spain, according to the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food (MAPA), the soils have the lowest carbon content in Europe, which reduces their CO absorption capacity.2. In this sense, the digestate from Biovic's biomethane plants is an innovative solution to address this problem and promote the reduction of the carbon footprint.
Luis Puchades, director of Biovic, assures that “in Spain the application of the digest is especially crucial in areas that are generally poor in organic matter. This treatment not only increases the organic matter of the soil and improves its structure, but also provides essential macro and micronutrients, offering a double benefit: effective fertilization and greater water retention capacity.”
About Biovic
Founded in 2009, Biovic - belonging to the Grupo Gimeno business group - has established itself as the leading Spanish company in engineering, execution and start-up of biomethane and biogas plants. With a current team of more than 25 specialists, since its birth it has developed, built and launched more than 50 biomethane, biogas and biomass projects, both nationally and internationally in markets as diverse as Holland, Israel, Germany, the United Kingdom. United or Latin America. In this period, it has also developed 12 upgrading plants and has participated in more than 300 consulting projects related to these matters. In all these projects, its mission is to provide personalized solutions with high added value for the client, ranging from the creation of the initial concept of the projects and their subsequent development to the selection of the equipment and the implementation of the facilities. Likewise, it offers a wide variety of services related to the environment and agriculture.
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