The collaboration with Genera4 marks a significant step in Chile’s emerging biogas market
Milan, 26 February 2025 – Sebigas, an Italian company specialized in the design and construction of biogas and biomethane plants, has been selected by Genera4—a Chilean company with over 15 years of experience in the sector—for the development of two new plants: Los Laureles and Los Ciruelos. This collaboration represents a milestone in Sebigas’ international growth strategy, further strengthening its presence in the South American market, as well as a transformative contribution to Chile’s biogas and biomethane sector, which currently features only one operational biomethane plant in Santiago. Currently, all natural gas consumed in Chile is imported as LNG through the port of Quintero and distributed via pipelines or road transport.
Federico Torretta, General Manager of Sebigas, commented: “The Chilean biogas and biomethane market is in its early stages but presents significant opportunities for the advancement of renewable energy. We are proud to contribute our engineering expertise to projects that promote sustainability and energy self-sufficiency.”
The Projects
Los Ciruelos: Located in San Clemente, in the Maule region, this plant is a significant innovation as the first in the country to produce compressed BioCNG. It is designed to meet local demand while contributing to the national energy diversification strategy. The plant will produce approximately 450 Sm³/h of biomethane, processing around 90,000 tons of biomass annually, including poultry litter, fruit and vegetable waste, organic waste, sludge, process water, and olive production residues. The facility features three digesters and a secondary digester. The biomethane produced will be sold to a natural gas distributor and used to replace natural gas in industries and among consumers located within a 200 km radius of the plant.
Los Laureles: Situated in Osorno, in the Los Lagos region, this 3 MW biogas plant will process approximately 64,000 tons of biomass annually, including slaughterhouse waste, sewage sludge, salmon waste, fruit and vegetable waste, and residues from cleaning livestock pens and markets. The facility includes two digesters and a post-digester. The electricity generated will supply a nearby slaughterhouse, with any surplus fed into the electrical grid. Thermal energy, in the form of hot water, will replace LPG usage in the slaughterhouse’s operations.
Both projects have undergone stringent environmental and social approval processes to ensure no adverse impacts on the community. These plants contribute to Chile’s sustainable growth by promoting renewable energy adoption, reducing dependence on fossil fuel imports, and strengthening Sebigas’ presence in the South American market.
The selection of Sebigas by Genera4 — a client with extensive experience in plant design and a deep understanding of technology and operations— highlights the quality and value of the technological solutions offered by the company based in Italy
Sebigas Marketing & Communication Manager
Letizia Mariani – l.mariani@sebigas.it