Plans to build a biomethane plant in the village of El Mirador are continuing through the approval process, even as the project faces strong opposition from residents and local groups. Enagas Renovables has said it is revising the project design following requests from the San Javier Town Council and concerns raised by the community, reports Murcia Today.
The company has confirmed that it is changing the proposal to avoid using pig slurry as feedstock. However, it has not ruled out the possible use of other types of livestock waste in the future. An Enagas representative said the type of organic material to be used has not yet been finalised. While there are no pig farms in the municipality, sheep farming does take place in the area, and waste from this activity could be processed at the plant.
Enagas has also acknowledged that it does not currently operate any biogas plants that rely only on plant-based waste. The company said the El Mirador project remains under review at both local and regional levels and that it will continue seeking approvals to build the facility on a 77,000 square metre plot near the village.
The proposed site is close to several residential areas, which has led to strong opposition from nearby residents. This week, neighbours held a meeting to mark the rejection of a similar biomethane project proposed by the same company in Torres de Cotillas. In that case, the local council dropped the plan after a public consultation showed widespread opposition.
The Stop Biogas Mar Menor platform said Enagas has not held meetings with residents who would be affected by the project and has called for talks involving the company and local authorities. The group warned that even if pig slurry is excluded from the current plan, it could be added later. According to the platform, once permits are granted, changes to include slurry could be approved through a simple administrative process.
San Javier Mayor José Miguel Luengo said the project, as originally presented to the town council, has already been rejected. He said any revised proposal would be examined in detail and would only be approved if it clearly benefited the municipality and caused no harm. If those conditions were not met, he said, the project would not proceed.
The mayor also ruled out holding a public consultation, saying it was the council’s duty to assess proposals and reject those that do not serve the public interest. Even with possible changes, he said he did not consider the project viable. He added that San Javier does not have enough livestock activity to justify a biogas plant and that the municipality would not accept waste from outside areas.
Luengo also noted that agricultural companies, which were initially expected to benefit from the project by addressing waste disposal and gaining access to some of the energy produced, had shown less interest than expected.
Despite these concerns, the Stop Biogas platform said it would continue opposing the project and renewed its demand for a public referendum, which it plans to raise at every monthly council meeting.
For the project to go ahead, it must first receive approval from the regional government and be granted public utility status by the town council, as it is planned on rural land. Even if that stage is cleared, the project would still need to obtain all required construction and operating permits.
