‘A role model’: how Seville is turning leftover oranges into electricity

Level: Intermediate

1
  Warmer

Put these forms of energy production in order from 1 (best for the environment) to 6 (worst for the
environment). Give reasons for your choice.
wind farms

solar power

oil-fired power stations

coal-fired power stations

nuclear power

hydroelectric power

2
  Key words

Find the following words in the text. The paragraph numbers are given to help you.
1. something that could be dangerous or could cause damage or accidents
(para 1)

2. a project done in one place to find out if something will be successful

(two words, para 2)

3. the process of making something clean by removing dirty or harmful substances from it
(para 3)

4. the process in food or drink by which chemical changes in them produce gas and alcohol.
(para 5)

5. a network of wires that carries the electricity supply (para 6)

6. a natural or chemical substance added to soil in order to help plants grow

(para 6)

7. a person or organization whose behaviour is a good example for other people to copy
(two words, para 7)

8. the use of environmentally friendly methods (para 7)

9. providing everything you need yourself without help from other people
(para 9)

10. not harmed or affected by (two words, para 12)

D •
TE E E
SI AD L
EB LO B
W N IA

Published by Macmillan Education Ltd. © Macmillan Education Limited, 2021.

M W P
O DO O
FR BE OC

Home >> Adults >> General English >> NEWS LESSONS

T
O
H
AN
•P
C
 ‘A role model’: how Seville is turning leftover oranges into electricity
Level: Intermediate
Stephen Burgen 7 “Emasesa is now a role model in Spain for
23 February, 2021 sustainability and the fight against climate
change,” Juan Espadas Cejas, the mayor of
1 In spring, the air in Seville is sweet with the Seville, told a press conference at the launch
scent of orange blossom, but the 5.7m kilos of the project.
of bitter fruit that drop from the city’s 48,000 8 “We are especially directing new investment
trees onto the streets in winter are a hazard at the water purification plants that use almost
for pedestrians and a problem for the city’s 40 per cent of the energy needed to provide the
cleaning department. city with drinking water and sanitation,” he said.
2 Now a scheme has been launched to produce 9 “This project will help us to reach our targets for
electricity from the unwanted oranges. reducing emissions, energy self-sufficiency and
The southern Spanish city has begun a pilot the circular economy.”
scheme to use the methane produced when
the fruit ferments to generate clean electricity. 10 The oranges look pretty while on the tree
but, when they fall and are squashed under
3 The initial scheme launched by Emasesa, the the wheels of cars, the streets become sticky
city’s water company, will use 35 tonnes of fruit with juice and black with flies. The city council
to generate clean energy to run one of the city’s employs about 200 people to collect the fruit.
water purification plants. The oranges will go
into an existing facility that already generates 11 The bitter oranges, which originate in Asia,
electricity from organic matter. As the oranges were introduced by the Arabs around 1,000
ferment, the methane produced will be used years ago and have adapted well to the
to drive the generator. southern Spanish climate.
4 “We hope that soon we will be able to recycle 12 “They have taken root here, they’re resistant to
all the city’s oranges,” said Benigno López, the pollution and have adapted well to the region,”
head of Emasesa’s environmental department. said Fernando Mora Figueroa, the head of the
To do this, he believes the city would need city’s parks department.
to invest about €250,000. © Guardian News and Media 2021
5 “The juice is fructose consisting of very short First published in The Guardian, 23/02/2021
carbon chains and the energetic performance
of these carbon chains during the fermentation
process is very high,” he said. “It’s not just
about saving money. The oranges are a
problem for the city and we’re producing added
value from waste.”
6 For now, the aim is to use the energy to run the
water purification plants, but the plan for the
future is to put any extra electricity back into
the grid. The team behind the project argues
that the potential is huge, given the enormous
amount of fruit that would otherwise go into
landfill or be used as fertilizer. They say trials
have shown that 1,000kg will produce 50kWh,
enough to provide electricity to five homes
for one day, and calculate that if all the city’s
oranges were recycled and the energy put back
into the grid, this could power 73,000 homes.
D •
TE E E
SI AD L
EB LO B
W N IA

Published by Macmillan Education Ltd. © Macmillan Education Limited, 2021.

M W P
O DO O
FR BE OC

Home >> Adults >> General English >> NEWS LESSONS

T
O
H
AN
•P
C
 ‘A role model’: how Seville is turning leftover oranges into electricity
Level: Intermediate

3
  Comprehension check

Are these statements true (T) or false (F) according to the article? Correct any that are false.
1. Oranges create problems for pedestrians in Seville in spring. T/F

2. When oranges ferment, they produce methane. T/F

3. It will cost about €250,000 to recycle all the oranges in Seville. T/F

4. The pilot scheme will generate the energy for one water purification plant. T/F

5. 1,000kg of oranges will power 73,000 homes. T/F

6. The city pays around 200 people to remove oranges from trees. T/F

7. Oranges first came to Seville about a thousand years ago. T/F

8. Seville oranges are often killed by pollution. T/F

4
  Using key language

Complete the phrases from the text with these prepositions.

behind     during    in    into    for    from    of    with

1. spring

2. a hazard pedestrians

3. to generate electricity organic matter

4. the process

5. provide the city drinking water

6. go landfill

7. the team the project

8. consist

5
  Discussion

Discuss these statements.

• “We should recycle all our waste.”
• “People waste too much food.”
• “Waste isn’t the problem. People are the problem.”
D •
TE E E
SI AD L
EB LO B
W N IA

Published by Macmillan Education Ltd. © Macmillan Education Limited, 2021.

M W P
O DO O
FR BE OC

Home >> Adults >> General English >> NEWS LESSONS

T
O
H
AN
•P
C
 ‘A role model’: how Seville is turning leftover oranges into electricity
Level: Intermediate

6
  In your own words

The text describes a way of generating electricity from waste oranges. Search online for another
interesting way of generating electricity. Choose the most interesting method you can find and say
why you have chosen it. Write a short report describing the method.

If possible, include the following information:

• What does the method need?
• How much does it cost?
• Where is it happening or where might it happen?

D •
TE E E
SI AD L
EB LO B
W N IA

Published by Macmillan Education Ltd. © Macmillan Education Limited, 2021.

M W P
O DO O
FR BE OC

Home >> Adults >> General English >> NEWS LESSONS

T
O
H
AN
•P
C