Sumol Compal Ditches Gas for Biomass at Almeirim Factory

Sumol Compal is making significant changes to its Almeirim factory in Portugal by switching from natural gas to biomass as fuel for industrial steam production. The investment, valued at $4.02 million using the European Central Bank’s July 31 exchange rate, was supported by 55% public financing through Portugal's Recovery and Resilience Plan (PRR). This project is expected to reduce emissions by about 5,811 U.S. tons of carbon dioxide equivalent, which represents 61% of the factory's total emissions.

The biomass boiler will replace natural gas in steam generation, while a photovoltaic installation for the factory’s own consumption is also included. The combination of these two technologies addresses different parts of the energy bill and is expected to make the factory 'practically independent' from gas. This move not only helps reduce fossil-fuel dependence but also contains energy costs.

Sumol Compal operates five factories and more than 40 filling lines, with four plants in Portugal and one in Mozambique. The company has listed decarbonization projects at Pombal, Gouveia, and Vila Flor, suggesting that Almeirim is part of a wider modernization effort.