The inauguration highlighted how the new biorefinery will enable the city of Zaragoza to advance traditional waste treatment processes in the municipality and its surroundings, such as wastewater treatment sludge and organic waste.
These will be converted into high-value final products based on bio-based materials, local sustainable raw materials, and circular production processes. With a strong focus on selective waste collection, the biorefinery is also expected to provide environmental and economic benefits to both the city and the region by reducing the waste sent to landfills.
In the words of Natalia Chueca, Mayor of Zaragoza, "Once again, Zaragoza is becoming a leader in the circular economy. I am deeply grateful to Urbaser and all the companies involved in this project, which will undoubtedly become a model for Spain and Europe Zaragoza once again demonstrates that by betting on the green economy, we create jobs and wealth while taking giant steps toward sustainable and healthy cities. and in the circular economy, exceeding the national recycling rate. Now, we are also a reference in new technologies aimed at transforming waste."
The CIRCULAR BIOCARBON biorefinery is a unique model, with process lines implemented in two different locations in Zaragoza, Spain, and Sesto San Giovanni, Italy, for logistical, customer, and market reasons. This multi-site approach will test the biorefinery's performance across different waste management systems, ecosystems, and existing industrial practices, boosting its potential for replication across Europe. CIRCULAR BIOCARBON, funded by the Bio-Based Industries Joint Undertaking under the European Union's Horizon 2020 program, has a budget of €23 million to develop this project, and consists of 11 entities coordinated by Urbaser.
CIRCULAR BIOCARBON's efforts align with the European Union's Circular Economy Action Plan, adopted in 2020. The plan aims to help cities find new ways to add value to high-quality waste streams for reuse, reprocessing, and recycling. Biodegradable waste is a key source of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from landfills, accounting for approximately 3% of the EU's total GHG emissions. It is also a huge burden on cities who are faced with the environmental, social and economic impacts, and are in charge of collection and treatment.
