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As the Black Summer megafires neared, people rallied to save wildlife and domestic animals. But it came at a real cost 
PepsiCo Portugal has invested €7.5 million to construct a new biodigester, which will turn organic waste into biogas, reflecting its commitment to sustainability and the reduction of carbon emissions at its snack factory in Carregado.
The biodigester project, which will reduce carbon emissions by 30 percent, is part of the PepsiCo Positive (pep+) strategy for sustainability.
According to Nelson Sousa, PepsiCo Portugal’s plant manager, the new biodigester will have the capacity to convert more than 21,900 tons of organic waste per year into 4,818,000 Nm3 of biomethane per year, which is equivalent to a 30 percent reduction in carbon emissions during the production process”.
Sousa added that the project would let their business unit continue to be a case study of good sustainability practices at a European level and serves as an example of local circularity and reconversion.
The installation will allow PepsiCo Portugal to use the biogas produced during the anaerobic digestion process directly as fuel in the various stages of production and for cleaning the production lines, contributing to cutting gas consumption.
.PepsiCo Portugal’s biodigester will use the sludge produced at the plant’s wastewater treatment plant and potato peelings, as well as other food waste deemed unfit for consumption. This waste is pre-treated and converted into clean organic compost and transformed into biogas.
Fernando Moraga, country manager of PepsiCo in Portugal, said that with the new biodigester, they will operate more efficiently by creating alternative energy solutions.
PepsiCo will begin construction of the biodigester on a separate site next to the Alenquer factory in April 2023, occupying a total area of 420 square meters.
