From Trash to Fuel: Orizon (ORVR3) Unveils Massive Biomethane Project Serving 2.5 Million Brazilians

Brazilian waste management company Orizon dedicated a new biomethane plant at its Ecoparque Jaboatão facility located in Greater Recife Pernambuco through a financial commitment of 258 million reais which equals 51.6 million dollars. The facility transforms organic waste into biomethane which the company then supplies through its pipeline system to serve residential and industrial customers.

The plant began its construction process during May 2024 and finished building work by December 2025. The facility operates at a daily renewable gas output capacity of 108.000 cubic meters. Orizon CEO Milton Pilão reported that the company currently produces between 70.000 and 80.000 cubic meters of gas but plans to increase this output to 130000 cubic meters within one year and 150.000 cubic meters after two years.

The project handles 3.500 tons of waste material every day because it serves 2.5 million residents from Recife and adjacent municipalities. According to Priscila Krause who serves as Pernambuco's Vice-Governor and attended the inauguration ceremony Copergás will receive 5 of its entire gas distribution total from the biomethane which will be injected into the Copergás network. Copergás allocated 25 million reais to develop its pipeline system connecting to the Orizon facility.

Pilão also announced plans for three additional biomethane plants in Brazil's Northeast, specifically in Maceió (Alagoas), Aracaju (Sergipe), and João Pessoa (Paraíba), where Orizon operates landfills. Each of these future plants is estimated to require an investment of around 150 million reais, totaling approximately 450 million reais ($90 million), and are expected to become operational within the next two years.

The Ecoparque Jaboatão, which has been operating as a landfill for many years, received financing for the biomethane plant from Banco do Nordeste (BNB). The facility holds authorization from the National Agency of Petroleum, Natural Gas and Biofuels (ANP) to produce and commercialize biomethane since 2025. The ecopark spans 1.1 million square meters, receives over 550 trucks daily, and features Latin America's largest Mechanized Sorting Unit (UTM) and a 28.5 MW thermoelectric plant that converts biogas into electricity.

Orizon establishes itself as a major waste management company which operates 18 ecoparks throughout 12 Brazilian states to create waste valorization solutions that produce biomethane, biogas, recyclables, organic fertilizers, and carbon credits. Pilão explained that the "fuel of the future" laws which require natural gas pipelines to contain 10% biomethane create a market demand for biofuels which need governmental backing.

Renato Dutra, National Secretary of Oil, Natural Gas and Biofuels, representing Minister of Mines and Energy Alexandre Silveira, explained that the market would control how fast biomethane became more widely used. Orizon plans to develop liquefaction systems which will enable them to provide service to customers who lack access to their current gas pipeline system as part of their strategy to extend biomethane distribution across the entire country.