REFERENCE FACILITY

Zabalgarbi is the energy recovery plant in the Basque Country developed by SENER, and the reference facility for SIE’s future plant in San Pedro de Macorís.

SIE’s relationship with SENER includes an exclusivity agreement to develop waste-to-energy projects in the Dominican Republic using the technology implemented at Zabalgarbi. 

The Zabalgarbi plant combines the goal of promoting renewable energy and preserving the environment. It contributes to sustainable development, works against climate change by reducingCO2 emissions per kilowatt generated, reduces the use of fossil fuels and achieves high electricity production through the use of waste anda dual fuel option of liquified propane gas (LPG) or liquified natural gas(LNG), thanks to a single integrated cycle.

The high electrical production of Zabalgarbi is the result of the adaptation and integration of the technology of modern urban waste to energy plants and those with a combined cycle, into a single industrial process.

In the Zabalgarbi energy recovery system, the saturated steam produced in the boiler is at 310 degrees Celsius and 100 bar of pressure. Thanks to the heat of the exhaust gases of a gas turbine, this steam overheats in a recovery boiler until it reaches the temperature of 540 degrees Celsius and 100 bar of pressure, under similar conditions to those of a combined cycle power plant that uses conventional fuels. In other words, the superheated steam powered by the turbogenerator at the Zabalgarbi plant reaches a higher temperature and pressure than those obtained in modern waste to energy plants, resulting in increased power generation and energy efficiency in Zabalgarbi, increasing energy efficiency, reducing fossil fuel consumption and reducing boiler corrosion.

These benefits allow Zabalgarbi to reduce CO2 emissions and the environmental impact per kW/hour generated.