Environmental green light for the Cantalejo Green Gass bioLNG plant

The General Directorate of Environmental Policy of the Regional Government of Castilla y León has formulated the environmental impact statement for the anaerobic digestion plant project for bioLNG production promoted by Cantalejo Green Gass, S.L. in the municipality of Cantalejo (Segovia). The resolution, dated October 28, 2026, is published in the Official Gazette of Castilla y León no. 213, of November 4, 2026, section I. D. Other provisions, and carries the official reference BOCYL-D-04112026-213-21, with file number EIAO/2024/SG/015. The favorable report is limited to environmental effects and is subject to the conditions accompanying the statement.

A project of 200,000 annual tons next to the SG-205

The facility will be located on plots 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5001 of polygon 26, in the area of El Cascarrón, with an occupied area of 56,445.13 square meters and 6,551 square meters built on a total plot area of 64,583 square meters. Truck access will be via the SG-205 road, which connects Cantalejo and Cuéllar, and the plot is adjacent to the provincial road SG-205.

The technical data contained in the annex of the resolution are as follows:

• Projected capacity of 200,000 tons per year of organic waste: 140,000 of liquid waste, 55,000 of solids, and 5,000 of PAFCO (processed animal protein/animal by-products not intended for human consumption).
• Estimated production of 3,000 annual tons of bioLNG and a total biogas flow of 8,250,000 Nm³/year.
• Generation of 190,000 annual tons of digestate and 3,860 annual tons of ammonium sulfate as raw material for fertilizer companies.
• Two primary digesters and one secondary digester, 32 meters in diameter and 9 meters in height, with a total volume of 7,238 m³ each.
• Two liquid fraction ponds with a useful capacity of 51,103 m³ and 122 days of retention.
• Underground medium-voltage power line of 2,195 meters and 15 kV for supply, with a projected consumption of 8,000 MWh/year.
• Industrial water consumption of 2,000 m³/year and biomass consumption of 2,270 tons per year for the chip boiler.

The promoter, with registered office in Majadahonda (Madrid) and CIF B-56 719 008, submitted the initial application on June 5, 2024. The file was subject to public consultation via an announcement published in the Official Gazette of Castilla y León no. 197, of October 14, 2025, and the environmental body received the complete file on April 7, 2026.

Neighborhood and municipal objections

During the public exhibition period, allegations were submitted by numerous individuals, the Red Ambientalista Segoviana, and the Cantalejo City Council. The objections focused on odors, greenhouse gas emissions, pollution of water and water resources, proximity to urban centers, health risks, landscape impact, effects on birdlife and Natura 2000 network sites, truck traffic, and waste traceability.

The city council expressed its disagreement with the processing, alleged a lack of clarity regarding the waste to be treated and insufficiency in odor prevention, and demanded that the company assume the costs of repair and maintenance of the roads, in addition to depositing a municipal bond.

Among the consulted bodies, reports were issued by the Duero Hydrographic Confederation, the Civil Protection and Emergencies Agency, the Territorial Health Service of Segovia, the Territorial Service of Culture, Tourism and Sport in Segovia, the Waste and Contaminated Soils Service, and the Provincial Council of Segovia.

Cantalejo Lagoon and black stork

The project is located approximately 2,000 meters from the urban center of Cantalejo, while the power line passes approximately 720 meters away. The plot is adjacent to the provincial road SG-205 and the line runs approximately 1,740 meters from the regional road CL-603.

The Directorate General of Natural Heritage and Forestry Policy noted territorial proximity to the SAC (ES410106) “Lagunas de Cantalejo” and the SPA (ES4160048) “Lagunas de Cantalejo”—approximately 290 meters from the plant and 100 meters from the line—as well as territorial coincidence with the Black Stork Recovery Plan. It concludes that the actions will not cause harm to the integrity of these spaces if the imposed measures are met, which constitutes the Assessment Report on the Implications for the Natura 2000 Network.

The conditions include the application of the best available techniques, the waterproofing of storage areas, the covering of solid digestate, the prohibition of discharging into the public hydraulic domain, emission controls by accredited bodies, a perimeter vegetative screen with native species, and the prohibition of invasive exotic species. The declaration will expire if execution does not begin within four years and requires the promoter to submit an annual environmental monitoring report.

The resolution is signed by the Director General of Environmental Policy, José Guirao Sola, in Valladolid on October 28, 2026, and will be notified to the promoter, the affected city councils, and the substantive body to be incorporated into the integrated environmental authorization.

The environmental clearance resolves the project’s main formality, but it does not authorize construction: the Segovian plant still requires the integrated environmental authorization and sectoral licenses. For the livestock sector of Tierra de Pinares, the facility is shaping up to be a destination for slurry and organic waste, while residents and the Cantalejo City Council maintain their reservations regarding odors, traffic, and the conservation of the roads.

Source: Official Gazette of Castilla y León, no. 213, November 4, 2026, section I. D. Other provisions, page 431 (official reference: BOCYL-D-04112026-213-21).