WAGA ENERGY

References

Business model

To deploy WAGABOX® solution, Waga Energy has set up a scalable business model. The company purchases landfill gas from waste management companies, and builds, owns, operates, and maintains its units. In France, small-scale projects benefit from a Feed-in Tariff[1], while internationally, biomethane is sold to private off-takers via Biomethane Purchase Agreements (BPAs)[2]. Revenue sharing with landfill owners, based on the quantity of biogas delivered, incentivizes good operating practices[3] and helps reduce methane emissions from landfills.

The first WAGABOX® was commissioned in partnership with Coved/Paprec in Saint-Florentin, in February 2017, supported by a refundable advance of €2.3 million from the ADEME. Since then, 23 additional units have been commissioned in France, with 3 more under construction. The largest European unit, located in Claye-Souilly, produces 120 GWh (409,000 mmBtu) of RNG per year. Globally, there is 1 unit operating Spain near Barcelona (with one more under construction), 1 under construction in Italy near Florence, 3 in operation in Canada (with 2 more under construction), and 3 in operation in the United States (with 11 under construction).

Cases’ retrospective

The Madaillan WAGABOX® unit, commissioned in June 2023, was built at a Suez landfill. It injects 20 GWh (68,240 mmBtu) per year of biomethane into the GRDF gas grid, France’s distribution system operator, meeting the annual energy needs of approximately 3,000 households. By producing renewable natural gas (RNG) as a substitute for fossil-based natural gas, the unit avoids 3,300 tons of CO₂ equivalent emissions annually. The biomethane is sold under the Feed-in Tariff scheme to the French energy supplier Ekwateur.  

The Claye-Souilly WAGABOX® unit was commissioned in 2022. Located in one of Veolia’s largest landfills in France, it is ten times more energy-efficient, consuming only 12 GWh of electricity annually to produce 120 GWh (409,000 mmBtu) of biomethane. This represents three times more energy production compared to engines designed solely for electricity generation. The biomethane, injected into the GRDF gas grid, is sold through a Biomethane Purchase Agreement (BPA) to Engie and Veolia, supplying renewable energy to 20,000 households and avoiding 25,000 tons of CO₂ equivalent emissions per year.

Lessons Learned

First lesson

The WAGABOX® technology has proven to be a reliable and efficient solution for converting landfill gas into clean, renewable energy. It operates effectively with varying gas quality and flow rates, consistently producing biomethane that meets grid injection standards in both Europe and North America. To support global industrial deployment, Waga Energy has developed a plug-and-play approach, offering modular units with capacities ranging from 600 Nm³/h to 4,800 Nm³/h of landfill gas intake, ensuring seamless scalability. With over 95% uptime and exceptional energy efficiency, WAGABOX® delivers stable performance while significantly reducing greenhouse gas emissions.

Second lesson

The WHIPE project enabled the scaling up of larger units, exemplified by the WAGABOX® at Can Mata in Spain. In its first year of operations, this groundbreaking unit injected 57 GWh (194,492 mmBtu) of renewable natural gas, avoiding 14,925 tons of CO₂ equivalent emissions—comparable to removing 66,852 gasoline cars from the road. Operating without Feed-in Tariffs, the project was financed directly on the market thanks to a competitive BPA. Recognized by the EU Innovation Fund for its scale, emissions reductions, and innovative market approach, the Can Mata WAGABOX® highlights the scalability of this technology, paving the way to address larger and more challenging landfill markets in the Americas and emerging economies, even in the absence of subsidies.

Conclusion: The future

Since its inception, the WAGABOX® has proven to be an efficient and reliable technology for reducing greenhouse gas emissions from landfill gas while producing renewable energy to replace fossil natural gas. Waga Energy operates 30 WAGABOX® units across France, Spain, Canada, and the United States, offering an installed capacity of 1.4 TWh per year. Additionally, in January 2025, the company has 19 units under construction, representing an extra capacity of 1.8 TWh per year, with 79% of this growth occurring in the United States. These projects are part of Waga Energy’s strategy to expand its international presence and support the energy transition by providing a sustainable alternative to fossil natural gas.

Furthermore, as landfills have a finite capacity before closure, the WAGABOX® effectively valorises biogas during operation and continues to do so even long after closure. While Waga Energy strongly supports efforts to reduce waste volumes and aligns with initiatives such as the European Landfill Directive (2018/850), existing landfills present a significant opportunity to capture and valorise residual landfill gas, even years after closure. For instance, the WAGABOX® unit in Chicoutimi, Canada, produces 16 GWh (54,595 mmBtu) of biomethane annually from a closed landfill—avoiding 2,500 tonnes of equivalent CO₂ emissions each year—while the unit under construction in Italy will inject 29 GWh (98,950 mmBtu) of RNG annually from a similar site.

New applications for biomethane are being explored, such as compression or liquefaction for remote and insular landfills and the utilization of CO₂ from biogas for industrial purposes. These innovations highlight the ongoing potential for landfill gas to support the renewable energy transition while reducing GHG emissions.

[1] A government policy that guarantees a fixed price per unit of biomethane injected into the natural gas grid, often over a set period. This mechanism incentivizes renewable energy production by providing stable, above-market rates to producers.

[2] A long-term contract between a biomethane producer and a buyer (such as a private company or utility) for the purchase of RNG at a negotiated price. BPAs enable projects to operate without subsidies by securing predictable revenue streams.

[3] These practices have been studied along with Suez and Veolia in the E-CUBE Strategy Consultants report: “Contribution of non-hazardous waste landfills to the achievement of the GHG emission reduction targets in the EU”.