Hungarian oil and gas company MOL Group has inaugurated its first biomethane plant in Szarvas, southern Hungary, following an investment of more than 2.7 billion forints (approximately 7 million euros).
The facility upgrades an existing biogas plant, which MOL acquired in 2023, with purification technology supplied by Italy's Gruppo AB. The new unit removes carbon dioxide and other compounds from biogas to produce biomethane of sufficient purity for injection into Hungary's national natural gas network. MOL said the plant will replace more than 7 million cubic metres of natural gas with renewable energy annually, equivalent to the gas demand of approximately 8,500 average households.
The Szarvas plant processes more than 40,000 tonnes of waste per year from the region's meat industry, along with 53,000 tonnes of residual waste including slurry and turkey manure from neighbouring livestock and meat-processing farms. An additional 18,000 tonnes of agricultural substrate is used as feedstock.
Before the upgrade, the plant's 11-12 million cubic metres of annual biogas output was used for cogeneration, producing almost 24 GWh of renewable electricity and heat. The biomethane upgrading capability now gives the facility an additional output route.
Gyorgy Bacsa, group chief strategic officer at MOL, said: "The inauguration of the Szarvas biomethane plant is a strategic milestone for MOL Group. With our first facility of this kind, we are simultaneously strengthening energy security, expanding our sustainable product portfolio and taking another tangible step towards implementing our Shape Tomorrow strategy."
He added that MOL could "transform biomethane into a large-scale, tradable gas business through its commercial, financing and project implementation capabilities."
The plant is the third biomethane facility in Hungary. MOL said the experience gained from operating the Szarvas site would support the evaluation of future acquisitions and new greenfield biomethane investments.
