The experience of Valderrobres (Teruel) shows how a biomethane plant can simultaneously contribute to livestock farming, tourism, agriculture, and the local economy.
Congratulations to the Gasnam team on organising the Green Gas Mobility Summit #GGMS26, which in 2026 zoomed in on one of the key elements for making the development of green-molecule projects a reality, such as #Biomethane: the relationship with the territory.
We were fortunate to attend this interesting panel “Biomethane and Territory”, moderated by Guillermo Mariscal, with contributions from Carlos Boné, Mayor of Valderrobres and senator; Antonio Illescas, Director of Biomethane Business Development and Operations at Enagás Renovable; and Adrien Souchet, Biomethane Director at MOEVE.
Speaking about territory, the conversation addressed issues such as social acceptance, logistics, and the need to improve administrative processes—things we are all well aware of—but without a doubt the most novel contribution for the sector came from the Mayor of Valderrobres, who brought something especially valuable to the current debate on biomethane in Spain: the experience of a municipality that already lives alongside an operational plant and can assess its positive effects on the ground.
Congratulations to the #Gasnam team on organising #GGMS26, which in 2026 zoomed in on one of the key elements for making the development of green-molecule projects a reality, such as #Biomethane: the relationship with the #Territory. We were fortunate to attend this interesting panel “Biomethane and Territory”, where the main takeaway came from the hands-on experience of a municipality that has been living alongside this infrastructure for years.
#Valderobres: The importance of speaking from results. 📢 Public debate on biomethane often focuses on forecasts, hypotheses, or fears about possible future impacts.
From a nitrate-vulnerable zone to a shared solution
Carlos Boné told us that Valderrobres is a municipality in Teruel with around 2,600 inhabitants whose economy has traditionally relied on agriculture and livestock farming, especially pig production. As Boné explained, the town has 32 livestock farms and around 44,000 head of pigs. In addition, the municipality has a rich architectural and natural heritage. These are two elements that, “a priori”, “clash”.
The build-up of slurry had led the municipality to be declared a nitrate-vulnerable zone, a situation that limited the development of livestock farms and generated environmental tensions, which also constrained tourism.
“The Government of Aragon itself proposed the construction of a biogas plant as a solution, and both the Town Council and the residents understood it as a possible solution,” the mayor explained.
The territory’s initial perception was not shaped by rejection of the project, but by a very specific concern among livestock farmers: the cost of managing their slurry through the new facility.
Tourism and livestock farming: a possible coexistence
One of the most recurring arguments in debates about biomethane is the supposed incompatibility between these facilities and tourism development in rural areas. Valderrobres’ experience points precisely in the opposite direction—the municipality has invested in tourism for years, drawing on its historical and natural heritage. As Boné explained, the presence of slurry in the area created obvious problems for a significant part of tourism activity, especially in dispersed rural accommodation.
Two years after the plant was commissioned, the balance is clearly positive:
“We’ve had two years of the plant in operation. Undoubtedly, the smells have decreased enormously.”
The mayor later reiterated this idea:
“I’m not going to say they’ve been eliminated 100%, because that wouldn’t be true, but they’ve been reduced enormously.”
Far from harming tourism, the municipality continues to grow in visitor numbers.
“In a small municipality of 2,600 inhabitants, we have close to 150,000 visits a year.”
This is a particularly relevant figure because it comes from a territory where tourism and livestock farming share space and resources. “If the company and tourism are doing well, in the end our municipality and our region will improve.”
A direct benefit for farmers and livestock producers
Beyond the reduction in odours, Boné highlighted the economic and operational benefits the plant has brought to the local primary sector. On the one hand, farmers have begun using the fertiliser products obtained from the process with very good results.
“Many farmers have achieved that fertigation that comes out of it, and they also get it free of charge.”
On the other hand, the facility has helped resolve one of the main problems faced by livestock farms.
“Livestock farmers have been able to keep running their farms, keep expanding, and that difficulty—that problem they had—has disappeared.”
This reflection is especially relevant at a time when many Spanish regions are facing restrictions arising from nutrient management and the environmental obligations associated with livestock activity.
Indirect effects on agricultural development and the ecosystem
One of the most interesting aspects of the mayor’s remarks was the link between improved nutrient management and new opportunities for agricultural development. Boné explained that for years certain projects linked to water storage and regulation had run into difficulties due to nitrate pollution problems. After the plant came into operation, the situation is beginning to change.
“The Ebro River Basin Authority has already opened the door to starting the first feasibility study for one of the planned reservoirs.”
If these projects materialise, they could open up new irrigation possibilities and improve the region’s agricultural competitiveness.
Beyond energy
The contributions from Antonio Illescas and Adrien Souchet converged on a central idea: biomethane projects cannot be developed solely through an energy logic. Territorial integration, active listening, early participation, and adaptation to local needs are factors as important as technical or economic viability.
However, the main takeaway from the panel came from the practical experience of a municipality that has been living alongside this infrastructure for years.
The importance of speaking from results
Public debate on biomethane often focuses on forecasts, hypotheses, or fears about possible future impacts.
Valderrobres’ experience offers a different perspective: that of a territory that can assess real results.
Fewer odours, continuity for livestock farms, fertilisers used by local agriculture, new opportunities for water development, potential savings in waste management, and a tourism sector that keeps growing.
These are tangible benefits that help explain why biomethane should not be analysed solely as an energy technology, but as a circular-economy infrastructure capable of generating environmental, agricultural, and economic value in the territory where it is implemented.
And perhaps that was the panel’s main conclusion: when projects respond to real local needs and are developed through dialogue and planning, biomethane stops being a promise and becomes a solution.