Green gas from food waste makes Vattenfall’s gas mix more sustainable

By Team IO

Today, Vattenfall and Renewi sign a new partnership. Vattenfall will purchase over 7.5 million m3 of green gas annually from Renewi. The green gas made from food waste will be added to the regular gas network, where it mixes with natural gas, making the gas mix sustainable. Renewi is expected to start supplying green gas in spring 2024, says Vattenfall in a press release.

In the transition to more sustainable energy, green gas also plays an important role. The production and deployment of green gas helps in achieving the climate goals on CO2 reduction and helps the Netherlands to become less dependent on natural gas imports. One of the climate goals is to produce 2 billion m3 of green gas annually in the Netherlands by 2030. Currently, the Netherlands produces around 250 million m3 of green gas.

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Amsterdam green gas from food waste

Green gas is made from biogas, which comes from fermentation of, for example, vegetable, fruit and garden waste and manure. The biogas is then purified and upgraded to produce green gas that is comparable to fossil natural gas in terms of composition and quality.  

The green gas for Vattenfall is produced in a state-of-the-art facility of Renewi Organics in Amsterdam. Organic waste streams are collected in this digester. These food leftovers come from restaurants and canteens, over-the-date products come from supermarkets, for example.

Gas mix gets greener

The green gas from the digester is added to the regular gas network, where it mixes with natural gas, making the gas mix ever so slightly greener. By 2030, 20% of the gas consumed by households and small businesses must be sustainably produced. 

Cindy Kroon, Director Customers Vattenfall: “Green gas works just as well as natural gas, whether we use it for heating, showering, or cooking. By using more green gas, we are making our lives a little more sustainable at home. This is how we help society move forward and work towards fossil freedom.”