Converting 160,000 m³ of olive oil industry by‑products into bio‑LNG where gas pipelines don't reach

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How Capwatt, Nordsol, and Prodeval have realised Portugals first bio-LNG plant

At Nordsol, we’re expanding across Europe to make the most sustainable bio-LNG possible. Building on successful installations in the Netherlands and UK, we’ve supplied liquefaction technology to Capwatt for Portugal’s first bio-LNG production facility. As a result, we’re enabling access to renewable energy from Aljustrel where gas infrastructure is not available. Also, this project marks our first collaboration with Prodeval in Southern Europe.

Together, we transform 160,000 m³ of olive oil industry by-products from AZPO into 3.7 kilotons of bio-LNG annually:

  • Capwatt leads project development and manages local client relationships.
  • AZPO supplies olive oil industry by-products as feedstock.
  • Prodeval upgrades raw biogas into biomethane and liquid bio-CO₂.
  • Nordsol liquefies biomethane into bio-LNG for efficient transport.

Close engineering collaboration ensures seamless integration between upgrading and liquefaction processes — delivering renewable, locally produced energy from agro-industrial by-products, and solving both local energy and sustainability challenges.

Key achievements
About the plant
  • Location: Aljustrel, Portugal
  • Operational as of: : Q4 2025
  • Feedstock biogas: : 160,000 m³ olive oil industry by-products per year (AZPO)
  • Power supply:: From nearby 2 MW peak PV – solar power
  • Bio-LNG capacity: : 3.7 kilotons per year (57 GWh/year renewable natural gas)
  • Liquid bio-CO₂ capacity: : 7.8 kilotons per year
  • Purpose of bio-LNG:: Local applications where gas grid connections are not available

"Achieving carbon neutrality requires more than just renewable electricity. It is essential to decarbonize sectors that remain heavily dependent on fossil fuels."

Cristiano Amaro, Head of Biomethane at Capwatt

The key challenge of Capwatt
Building sustainable energy assets

  • Asset development: Building renewable energy production capacity using local agricultural waste and agro-industrial by product streams.
  • Infrastructure constraints: Serving clients in regions without gas network coverage, a challenge faced by many areas across Europe where grid connections are not available or economically viable.
  • Technology selection: Finding the most cost-effective solution for bio-LNG production and virtual pipeline transport.
About Capwatt

Capwatt, an innovative energy company focused on sustainable energy solutions, sought to develop renewable energy production assets using local resources. Their mission centers on environmental care while contributing to local community betterment through sustainable energy projects.

Key achievements

Through our collaborative approach, we are demonstrating that agroindustrial  by products streams can be transformed into valuable renewable energy for local industrial applications, creating new models for circular economy implementation.

Our key achievements include:

  • Technology collaboration: Successfully integrating Prodeval’s upgrading technology with Nordsol’s liquefaction systems, proving scalable solutions for biogas valorization.
  • Waste valorization: Converting 160,000 m³ of olive oil industry by-products annually into 3.7 kilotons of renewable bio-LNG.
  • Environmental impact: Reducing CO₂ equivalent emissions by 23,000 tons per year while capturing 7.8 kilotons of liquid bio-CO₂.
  • Virtual pipeline solution: Enabling efficient bio-LNG transport via tanker trucks, eliminating the need for costly pipeline infrastructure investments.
  • Energy independence: Creating local renewable energy supply from regional waste streams, reducing dependence on imported fossil fuels.
  • Circular economy: Creating value from agroindustrial  by products while addressing local environmental challenges.

"Portugal demonstrates how our proven bio‑LNG technology addresses a Europe‑wide challenge. Areas without gas grid access can now convert local resources into renewable energy that would otherwise be impossible to transport efficiently."

Léon van Bossum, CEO & partner of Nordsol

Future impact: From Portugal to European virtual pipelines

This project in Portugal proves our bio-LNG technology scales across markets and partnerships. Through the collaboration with Prodeval we create complete biogas-to-bio-LNG solutions. Virtual pipelines can now deliver fossil-free bio-LNG to any European region, with or without gas infrastructure.

This is the future: converting local organic waste into transportable bio-LNG, creating circular economies in every region across Europe.

A green and great
business opportunity.

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