Veolia (Paris) and Waga Energy S.A. (Meylan, France) have launched the construction of WagaBox, a unit recovering biomethane from landfill waste. WagaBox will be installed in Île-de-France at the Claye-Souilly landfill to supply renewable gas to 20,000 homes in the Paris region from February 2022. It will contribute to the fight against global warming by replacing natural gas with green and local energy (biomethane).
WagaBox is a breakthrough technology for recovering biogas from landfill waste. It combines two advanced technologies (membrane filtration and cryogenic distillation), it separates methane from other components and provides 98% pure biomethane. The biomethane will then be injected into GRDF’s natural gas distribution network to supply individuals and businesses in Paris. With 25,000 tons of CO2 avoided per year, it contributes to the local energy loop and the region’s ecological transformation. From 2022 and for 15 years, this site will generate 120 GWh of gas per year, making it the second largest project in France, and the largest green gas production capacity from a non-hazardous waste storage facility in Europe. This is equivalent to the needs of 20,000 households powered by green and local energy.
In France, Claye-Souilly is the two partner’s third green gas project together, following one in the Cher, in service since November 2018, and a second project under construction in the Manche department. France already has 10 WagaBox installations with a total capacity of 200 GWh/year, which supply 32,000 homes with renewable gas and avoid 40,000 tons of CO2 per year.
Veolia’s Claye-Souilly non-hazardous waste landfill has been recovering biogas from waste in the form of electricity and heat since 2006. Veolia developed the first biomethane fuel from waste production unit (Meth’OD) in 2009. Wagabox, which will replace part of this equipment, will purify 3,000 m3 of biogas per hour, with superior energy and environmental efficiency.