The arrival of this energy will allow the agricultural company to avoid the release of 71.6 tonnes of CO2 per year into the atmosphere, the equivalent of planting a forest of more than 1,800 trees.

  • Thanks to the use of natural gas, Monsanto Agricultura España, S.L.U. will achieve a saving of 35% on its energy bill.
  • Gas Natural Andalucía is developing the Tierras de Almería project in order to supply natural gas to the greenhouses of El Ejido. The company has invested 1.6 million euros in the central area set aside eight million over the next few years for expanding a capillary network.

The Monsanto Agricultura España, S.L.U. facilities in El Ejido, where the company has one of its four research centres in Spain, has begun to use natural gas this week in its production process, becoming the first customer of Tierras de Almería, a project being developed by Gas Natural Andalucía for supplying the greenhouses of El Ejido.

The commencement of the supply of natural gas represents a clear environmental improvement for Monsanto Agricultura España, S.L.U., now that its CO2 will be reduced by 71.6 tonnes per year, the equivalent of planting a forest of more than 1,800 trees. CO2 is the most significant of the greenhouse gases.

As well as a firm commitment to environmental improvement, the change to natural gas represents an improvement in the company's competitiveness. This in turn allows for an improvement in production, optimising the use of resources. Moreover, with natural gas, Monsanto Agricultura España, S.L.U. will achieve a saving of 35% on its energy bill.

Tierras de Almería

Gas Natural Andalucía, a distribution subsidiary of GAS NATURAL FENOSA in this community, launched the main focus of the Tierras de Almería project last July, which covers an area of 12.4 kilometres and represents an investment of 1.6 million euros. Furthermore, the project will lead to an expansion of the liquefied natural gas plant operated by the company in El Ejido. The plant will be increased from a capacity of 105 m3 to 225 m3.

With the arrival of this energy, greenhouses will save on their energy bills, allowing an increase in the use of heating in most of them which will lead to an increase in production of more than 50%. This sector has an annual turnover of more than 1.5 billion euros in the province and more than 647 million euros in El Ejido.

The province of Almería is a domestic leader and international benchmark in agricultural production from greenhouses with over 26,000 hectares of greenhouse crops.

The arrival of natural gas also represents an improvement in the quality of the plants and products that will be cultivated in these greenhouses, allowing the unification of the sizes and tastes of the cultivated products, as well as favouring the use of CO2 as a carbonic fertiliser to boost the growth and the quality of the crops.

Gas Natural in Almería

Gas Natural Andalucía has been operating in Almería since 2006, when a liquefied natural gas plant was installed in El Ejido, allowing the township to be supplied.

Thanks to a 164 kilometre distribution network, Gas Natural Andalucía has more than 3,170 supply points supplying more than 9,500 Almería citizens. Currently, the company distributes natural gas in three municipalities of the province: El Ejido, Roquetas de Mar and Vícar.

For Gas Natural Andalucía, Almería is one of the strategic points of the Autonomous Community and expects to invest 2.8 million euros over this year in order to continue developing its infrastructures.

El Ejido, 24 September 2014.

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