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A Model to Observe: How Seville in Spain Is Turning Orange Waste into Energy
The municipal water company of Seville in Spain, Emasesa, will initiate this new program using 35 tons of oranges at a facility that already converts organic matter into energy. The methane captured from the fermentation of oranges will power the generators of the water purification plants. If the orange experiment is successful, old fruit may one day supply excess energy to the grid. Scientists report that initial tests show that 1,000 kg of oranges can supply five homes for a day. If all the oranges in Seville were harvested, they could power 73,000 houses.
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About the Process
Oranges look great on a tree, but when they fall and are crushed under car wheels, the streets become sticky with juice and black with flies. The city hall employs about 200 people to collect the fruit.
Native to Asia, the bitter orange was introduced by the Arabs about 1,000 years ago and is well adapted to the climate of southern Spain.
“We hope that soon we can recycle all the oranges in the city,” said Beninho Lopez, head of the environmental department at Emasesa. To achieve this, he estimates that the city will need to invest around 250,000 euros.
“The juice is a fructose composed of very short carbon chains, and the energy performance of these carbon chains during the fermentation process is very high,” he said. “It’s not just about saving money. Oranges are a problem for the city, and we add value with the waste.”
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