In our daily lives, we are constantly looking for ways to make the most of the resources at hand. Whether it is reusing rainwater to water plants or turning our leftover food into delicious stews, these practices reflect our ability to optimise what we have. Industry, created in our own image, follows the same principle of harnessing and optimising. In Barcelona, this philosophy has resulted in a key breakthrough: the first sustainable urban cold recovery network at an LNG terminal, the result of a partnership between Veolia, Enagás and Barcelona City Council.
Industrial efficiency as a driver of change
Traditionally, the cold generated in the regasification process of liquefied natural gas (LNG) was lost. Today, thanks to an innovative technological solution, it is recovered and distributed at -20ºC to supply an urban grid that generates 131 GWh per year of sustainable, low-carbon and competitive local energy. This is equivalent to the energy consumption of a city like Reus, Tarragona (more than 100,000 inhabitants) and avoids the emission of 32,000 tonnes of CO2 per year, which corresponds to 110 round-trip flights between Barcelona and New York.
This previously wasted resource now feeds a cooling network that benefits key infrastructures such as the Fira de Barcelona, government offices, hotels and shopping centres.
‘Today we have taken a very important step in our commitment to innovation and sustainability in our industrial processes. This is an emblematic sustainable energy project for the city of Barcelona,’ said Arturo Gonzalo, CEO of Enagás.
A bridge between sectors: the case of Mercabarna
Industrial efficiency not only transforms its own field, but also has a multiplier effect on other sectors. A clear example of the impact of this technology is the agreement between Veolia and Mercabarna, one of Europe’s largest wholesale markets. This sustainable cold supply could benefit their cold rooms and air conditioning systems, improving efficiency in the food sector and extending the applications of residual cold to complementary activities. Such agreements not only strengthen the competitiveness of specific sectors, but also enhance the positive impact on the entire supply chain.
Estelle Brachlianoff, CEO of Veolia, underlines the potential of this technology:
‘The replicability of this solution is a world first that opens up huge potential in Europe and internationally. It demonstrates the positive impact of territorial energy solutions on the decarbonisation and competitiveness of territories’.
Transforming synergies: working together towards decarbonisation
This breakthrough is the result of collaboration between Veolia, Enagás, Barcelona City Council and other local stakeholders, who have been working together since 2009. The key to this project is that efficiency in one sector drives efficiency in others. The energy resources generated in the port have a direct impact on tertiary (offices, hotels, shopping centres), residential and food sectors.
The First Deputy Mayor of Barcelona, Laia Bonet, summed it up thus:
‘We are putting innovation at the service of more sustainable and resilient cities. This project is pioneering, it puts innovation, energy efficiency, decarbonisation and public-private collaboration at the centre, and this allows cities to face the challenges of climate change, challenges that we must transform into the generation of new opportunities’, Laia Bonet, Deputy Mayor of Barcelona.
Conclusion: when industry leads, everybody wins
With more than 150 LNG terminals around the world, the solution implemented in Barcelona opens up a horizon of possibilities to replicate this model and maximise cross-sectoral benefits. From urban infrastructure to the competitiveness of local markets, industrial energy efficiency is emerging as a key tool for transforming entire sectors.
This project is not only an example of how industry can optimise its resources, but also how these improvements extend to other key sectors of the economy. From hotels to wholesale markets, industrial efficiency drives a network of benefits that transcend their traditional boundaries, realising a collaborative model in which all actors move towards sustainability and competitiveness.