Seville, Spain, has a long history of producing its famous Seville oranges for over 1,000 years. Still, the city also has to deal with many of these oranges as a waste product and public hazard.
With many of the premature oranges falling onto streets, the city employs 200 people to clean them up. Unfortunately, these premature oranges are not edible, so they often just end up at a landfill.
A report in Fast Company revealed some numbers of how significant this issue is.
“The ultimate goal in Seville is to get surplus electricity back into the grid, for which oranges could prove to be pivotal. The forecast for the orange harvest this year is 5.7 million kilograms, a 38% increase over last year, and the city typically recovers about 17,000 metric tons a year just on the roads.”
Now, a water purification plant will ferment the oranges and collect the methane in the process. That methane will then power the facility, and project managers believe it will produce more than enough electricity.
The ultimate goal then is to feed any excess electricity back into the grid.
It’s a story that shows how innovative people are when it comes to finding new ways to find eco-friendly solutions.
Chris is one of GreenCitizen’s writers who has been a long-time advocate of individual responsibility when it comes to the environment. He shares GreenCitizen's passion for making the world a better place every day of the year.
Circular Economy , Renewable Energy ,
Spain’s Seville Oranges Find A New Use In Energy Production
by : Chris Bolt | Published: March 12, 2021
Seville oranges will now be used to produce enough electricity to power a water purification plant and feed any excess back into Spain’s grid.
Seville, Spain, has a long history of producing its famous Seville oranges for over 1,000 years. Still, the city also has to deal with many of these oranges as a waste product and public hazard.
With many of the premature oranges falling onto streets, the city employs 200 people to clean them up. Unfortunately, these premature oranges are not edible, so they often just end up at a landfill.
A report in Fast Company revealed some numbers of how significant this issue is.
“The ultimate goal in Seville is to get surplus electricity back into the grid, for which oranges could prove to be pivotal. The forecast for the orange harvest this year is 5.7 million kilograms, a 38% increase over last year, and the city typically recovers about 17,000 metric tons a year just on the roads.”
Now, a water purification plant will ferment the oranges and collect the methane in the process. That methane will then power the facility, and project managers believe it will produce more than enough electricity.
The ultimate goal then is to feed any excess electricity back into the grid.
It’s a story that shows how innovative people are when it comes to finding new ways to find eco-friendly solutions.
Chris Bolt
Chris is one of GreenCitizen’s writers who has been a long-time advocate of individual responsibility when it comes to the environment. He shares GreenCitizen's passion for making the world a better place every day of the year.
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