ATH Bioenergy announced plans last March to invest €100 million in four biomethane plants across the Canary Islands. The project has now begun with construction underway on the first plant in Puerto de Arinaga, Gran Canaria. Subsequent facilities will be built in Tenerife, Fuerteventura, and Lanzarote, all designed to process organic waste from local hotels and supermarkets.
Upon completion in 2026, these plants will collectively treat an estimated 130,000 tons of organic waste annually. This includes food scraps from hotels, pruning waste, and banana and food industry residuals. They will also produce more than 133 gigawatt hours (GWh) of biomethane per year, which will be supplied back to local hotels and industries.
The investment in Gran Canaria alone exceeds €25 million, marking the first project of its kind in the Canary Islands. Beyond biomethane production, the project encompasses further processing of the biogas into organic fertilizers for agricultural use.
“The Canary Islands’ agricultural sector relies heavily on fertilizers,” manager of the company ATH Bioenergy, Rafael Zárate explained. “This project will provide a locally sourced, organic alternative, reducing the region’s dependence on chemical fertilizers, particularly in Gran Canaria.” The plant is projected to produce approximately 5,000 tons of liquid fertilizer and 4,000 tons of solid fertilizer annually on the island.
