Spain Using Oranges To Make Electricity

Seville in Spain is famous for their fantastic zesty oranges. Millions of trees cover the region. Now they plan to use the waste from the orange fruit industry to make electricity.

Tonnes Of Oranges Saved From Landfill

Tonnes of overripe, damaged, left over fruit that didn't make the grade and discarded waste from processing factories will be gathered up, squeezed and the juice used to create biogas.

Biogas Not Biomass

Biogas, not to be confused with biomass, which encompasses a lot of different plant material sources. For example, waste from food crops can be processed and then burned in to heat energy. Wood chopped from a tree is the earliest and still the most common form of biomass.

What Is Biogas

Biogas is made in a process called anaerobic digestion. Organic material, usually plant or animal waste is broken down by microorganisms in a vessel. Oxygen is prevented from entering the chamber in which this process is taking place.

When You've Made The Gas, There Is Nothing New In The Actual Electricity Generation Process.

Making The Electricity

When you've made the gas, there is nothing new in the actual electricity generation process. The biogas is burned to heat water, producing steam which then turns turbines and generates electricity.

The electricity generated is being used to directly supply a water treatment plant.

The Numbers Work

Although it may appear to some to be a green (or even orange) dreamy project, it is actually a financially viable process that reduces the local government electricity bills and landfill waste.

Full Circle Environmental Harmony

Even the pulp is not wasted, it is composted and sent full circle back to the fields.

About The Author
Jane Duncan
Chewells Contributor

Jane is passionate about the environment, she is our main contributor for the renewable industry blogs. She... »

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Replies

• Itsme (Feb 15, 2024)
  Basically making electricity from bacteria farts... nice!
• Helena Montgomery (Feb 8, 2024)
  What a heart-warming story.
• Fiona (Feb 2, 2024)
  What's not to like
• JJ (Feb 8, 2024)
  I wanna go
• Marky (Feb 1, 2024)
  Whole place must smell like a grocery store.
• G (Jan 29, 2024)
  Great idea
• Amanda Duarte (Jan 27, 2024)
  This is what the future looks like

• Name