Last week, the Environment and Energy Commission of the Portuguese Parliament visited Tondela, to know the HyfuelUp project, which aims to produce biomethane from forest waste. The project, developed by a consortium led by CoLAB BIOREF with 11 partners, received €10 million in EU funding through the Horizon Europe program. HyfuelUp plans to test a new technology in the production of biofuel for industrial consumption and create 50 cubic meters of biomethane per hour, using gasification and methanation processes. The project will use deactivated facilities in the Lagedo Business Hosting Area and aims to replicate the concept for the rest of the European continent. The committee had the opportunity to visit the site where the biofuel will be produced and learn more about the innovative technology being used. The Commission were received by the municipality's executive team, including Mayor Carla Antunes Borges. During the visit, the mayor shared Tondela's commitment to being an environmentally-friendly county and announced plans to create a new business park in Borralhal, next to the landfill of the Association of Municipalities of Planalto Beirão. The new business area is being designed under the revision of the Municipal Master Plan, with the goal of facilitating and attracting new investments to the region, specifically companies linked to the environment.

The visit was a positive step towards promoting sustainable development aligned with the decarbonization commitment.