Kemira expands capacity in Spain to cater for growing demand in biogas applications and phosphorus removal

Kemira has announced it is investing in expanding its ferric chloride capacity in Tarragona, Spain, to enable production of specific biogas products BDP (Biogas Digestion Product). The company stated that this investment will allow Kemira to respond to the growing market demand for biogas applications in Europe. Ferric chloride is also the most commonly used coagulant for phosphorus reduction in wastewater treatment. Total investment is in the mid-single digit millions and the capacity is planned to be in operation during 2026.

“This investment fully supports our strategy and ambition to grow in water and sustainable solutions. It enables us to support our customers in their sustainability efforts with biogas applications and phosphorus removal. The patented and tailor-made biogas products are unique with an added potential to significantly enhance the yield of biogas production,” stated Tuija Pohjolainen-Hiltunen, president of Kemira’s Industry & Water segment.

The biogas market is growing fast in Europe, and the demand for supporting products like Kemira’s iron chloride-based BDP products is expected to follow.  In developing more circular solutions, replacing natural gas with biogas /biomethane produced from organic waste and agricultural side-products, is an important task where EU has high ambitions with the target to produce 35 billion cubic meters of bio-methane by 2030. Phosphorus is on the EU Critical Raw Materials List and recovery of this critical nutrient from the wastewater is enabled by efficient phosphorus removal technology. Recovered phosphorus can be used in agriculture as a fertilizer.

Kemira supports its biogas customers by offering tailor-made products that work as nutrients in the biological biogas process but also remove toxic substances from the process. The offering also includes services linked to the biogas process, and solutions for optimizing the biogas production capacity and minimizing the cost of operation without any new investments. The produced biogas is used for energy production, vehicle fuel and replacing natural gas.

The increased capacity of ferric chloride will also support the growing demand of phosphorus removal from wastewater. Ferric chloride removes phosphorus from wastewater and reduces the eutrophication in our natural water bodies.