The inauguration took place at the Arroyo Culebro Cuenca Media Alta Wastewater Treatment Plant (EDAR) in Pinto. This event is part of the commemoration of the 175th anniversary of the public company Canal de Isabel II, which has the honorary presidency of the monarch.
The complex, considered a national benchmark for its size and the application of advanced technologies, contributes to the circular economy. Since 2012, the treatment plant has supplied high-quality recycled water for the manufacturing of 100% recycled paper, with nearly three cubic hectometers out of the 15 reused in the Community of Madrid last year dedicated to this industrial activity.
The new center houses pioneering projects that combine renewable energy generation with the reuse of resources from urban wastewater treatment. One notable project is a green hydrogen production plant that uses recycled water instead of drinking water and operates with clean energy sources.
The facility can produce approximately 400 kilograms of green hydrogen daily, an amount equivalent to what a fuel-cell vehicle needs to travel about 40,000 kilometers. Nearly half of the production will be used for refueling trucks, aiming to contribute to the decarbonization of heavy transport. The remainder can be used for industrial purposes and the manufacturing of renewable synthetic biofuels.
Another project at the center involves the production of synthetic biomethane or e-methane, a renewable fuel obtained by combining green hydrogen and carbon dioxide. This fuel, with a chemical composition similar to conventional natural gas, will be directly injected into the treatment plant's internal network to increase heat and electricity generation, utilizing part of the green hydrogen produced on-site and the biogas generated during the sludge digestion process.
