We are FCC - Nº6

water A shift in end-to-end water management Smart Green Gas project Aqualia produces 17.5 million m3 of biogas/year, sufficient for supplying 10,000 vehicles Thanks to the SMART Green Gas project, Aqualia has been able to produce 17.5 million cubic metres of biogas in 25 digestion plants in one year enabling the circulation of 10,000 CNG (Compressed Natural Gas) vehicle. The project also imple- ments the conversion of biogas into biomethane, but only in two plants, in Jerez and Lleida. Traditionally, end-to-end manage- ment of the water cycle has been energy-intensive. This is changing, however. Companies specialising in the management of the end-to-end water cycle such as Aqualia invest in new technologies and R+D+i so- lutions in order to focus on the use of renewable and more environmentally friendly energy. Managing such a valuable and limi- ted resource as water is a great res- ponsibility. Its availability for future generations depends, in part, on how it is managed. Innovation is essential for advancing in the sustainable management of water, improving the quality of life of people and ensuring the availability of the resource from the point of view of efficiency. In addition, it is impor- tant to ensure that management of this resource has a limited impact on the surroundings where this activity is carried out. All the stages of the integral water cycle consume energy, more or less according to the circumstances of each case. In Spain, it represents between 1.5% and 3% of the coun- try’s energy consumption. Water and energy are two essential resources for society in the 21st century. The first is essential for living, and the second for maintaining comfort stan- dards, which justifies the need to use them efficiently. Efficiency and the rational use of energy is an essential aspect of Aqualia’s responsible environmental management. The company has im- plemented an energy management system certified in accordance with The Smart Green Gas station supplies biogas obtained from wastewater. The first prototype of the LIFE Memory industrial project. B U S I N E S S 14 B U S I N E S S