Biogas Upgrading to Biomethane: Discover BiogasWorld’s Clients and their Technology

Keywords: biogas upgrading, biogas purification, biogas cleaning

Biogas is produced from the process of anaerobic digestion in which microorganisms break down biodegradable material in the absence of oxygen. Biogas is composed of the following elements: methane (CH4, 50 – 75%), carbon dioxide (CO2, 25 – 45%), water (H2O), nitrogen (N2), oxygen (O2 ), hydrogen sulfide (H2S), ammonia (NH3), and trace elements (organo-halogenated, siloxanes, etc.).

Biogas can be used for heating and power. When it is purified, biogas is transformed into “biomethane” or “BioGNV” and can be used for gas vehicles or injection into a natural gas network. To achieve the quality of natural gas (98 % of methane), we remove CO2, water and other compounds. The biomethane will then be in compliance with the BNQ 3672-100 standard.

Composition and standards

Biogas Purification Technologies

There are several technologies for cleaning biogas to natural gas quality:

• Water scrubbing: process based on physical absorption employing water as a solvent for dissolving CO2. The reason why absorption in water is emplyed is that solubility of CO2 in water is many times higher than solubility of CH4 in water.

• Chemical absorption: based on dissolving CO2 from biogas in a solvent. However, absorption is associated with chemical reaction (between CO2 and solvent).

• Pressure Swing Adsorption or PSA: carbon dioxyde is separated using physical prperties. Biogas is upgraded using adsorbing material such as activated carbon or zeolites, which absorb carbon dioxide.

• Membrane separation: membrane allows CO2 pass while retaining CH4.

• Cryogenic separation: successive refrigeration to produce liquid CO2 and liquified biomethane (GST technique) or anti-sublimation of CO2 to produce liquid CO2 and biomethane gas.

Comparison of the different biogas ugrading technologies

Technical comparison

Table of characteristics for biogas purification processes:

Source: Anaerobic Biotech. for Bioenergy Production – Biogas purification and utilization, MEBIG

Economic comparison

Table of economic comparison of different purification techniques:

Source: Membrane Gas Separation Technologies for Biogas Upgrading, Chen and al. 2015

BiogasWorld’s clients offering biogas purification systems

IVYS: Purely Driven PSA Solutions

Established in 2023 by Enbridge and a group of private owners, Ivys Adsorption Inc. has acquired a patented Pressure Swing Adsorption (PSA) technology that has proven to be reliable over the past 20 years.

The BGX Biostream adapts to your production levels. You can even add on a second PSA system without breaking the bank. There is no wait time.

Ivys uses superior-quality filter media with a new, hybrid technology. Our elements stop the perpetual discussion about the use of filter media with or without binders because they are layered with both types, tailored to the filtration task. This neutralizes the inherent disadvantages and, as a result, retains the advantages of both types.

Read more about the BIOSTREAM and Ivys’ Gas Filters.

Waga Energy: WAGABOX®, a Breakthrough Technology for Landfill Gas Recovery

Waga Energy is an innovative company specialized in landfill gas upgrading into grid-compliant biomethane (renewable natural gas). It was founded in 2015 by three former engineers from the Air Liquide group. The company is based in Meylan, near Grenoble, France — a world-renowned center for high-tech innovation with a reputation for leadership in gas engineering and cryogenics. Waga Energy also has subsidiaries in the United States and Canada.

As a result of ten years of development within the Air Liquide Group and Waga Energy, WAGABOX® is a breakthrough technology for landfill gas recovery. Combining membrane filtration and cryogenic distillation, it guarantees the production of high-quality biomethane (renewable natural gas) that can be injected directly into the natural gas distribution network, regardless of the oxygen and nitrogen concentration in the raw gas.

Read more about the Wagabox.

AB Bioch4nge®: Maximum Efficiency for Biogas-To-Biomethane Upgrading

Since 1981, AB has tackled the challenges posed by energy sustainability, working alongside our customers to improve their competitiveness while saving energy and reducing emissions. From our earliest days, we have focused on innovation to develop world-class technologies and processes dedicated to transforming the world of energy.

BIOCH4NGE® and AB’s CH4LNGare systems created and manufactured by AB. They are the perfect biogas upgrades for producing biomethane from biogas, treatment, liquefaction and storage. Compact, modular and versatile, they requires short installation time and guarantees high performance.

Read more about the BIOCH4NGE® and the CH4LNG.

The Air Liquide Biogas Purification Systems: Gas Separation Technology

With over 80 biogas sites worldwide and more than 100 years of experience in gas separation, Air Liquide is the world leader in biogas purification, with systems ranging from 70 SCFM to 12,000 SCFM. Technologies offered include both plants owned and operated by Air Liquide, the sale of membrane based processing units and peripheral equipment of compressors, hydrogen sulfide and VOC removal.

Air Liquide’s Biogas Purification Systems’ technology used to separate the two main components of biogas – methane and carbon dioxide – is based on the use of polymer membranes produced by Air Liquide Advanced Separations (ALaS). This efficient system generates biomethane with a methane (CH₄) content of between 96.5% and 99%, depending on its purpose. With its technical solution for biogas purification, Air Liquide takes charge of every stage of processing, from when it leaves the digester until it is injected into the gas network.

Read more about the Air Liquide’s Purification System.

Bright Renewables: Biogas Upgrading to Biomethane

Bright Renewables offers a well-proven system to upgrade biogas to a methane-rich product gas, also known as biomethane. By applying highly efficient membranes the separation of methane from biogas can reach an efficiency of more than 99.5% and render biomethane suitable for injection in the national grid or compression to CNG. Read more about our technology.

Bright Renewables systems are available in standard capacities from 40 Nm³/hr to 5,000 Nm³/hr. Other capacities are available on request. This makes Bright Renewables one of the few suppliers able to deliver the total range from small to large biogas upgrading installations.

In addition to the production of biomethane the Bright Biomethane systems may be used to recover and liquefy CO2 to create an extra source of revenue for the plant owner.

Read more about Bright Renewables’ Biogas Upgrading to Biomethane and their CO2 Recovery technology.

DMT Clear Gas Solutions: Biogas Upgrading to Green Gas or Vehicule Fuel; Carborex MS

DMT’s Carborex MS in Poundbury, UK, was the first commercial biogas upgrading system in the UK, and the first in Europe in 2012. DMT is now the largest producer of biogas upgrading facilities in the world with membrane technology. In 2016, we sold the biggest biogas upgrading plant in the USA. Biogas upgrading contributes to the creation of circular economies and energy independence.

One of the major product lines DMT Environmental Technology offers is the Carborex MS. The biogas upgrading process can be performed with the Carborex MS, which separates methane from carbon dioxide by the use of membrane technology. This process has the advantages that it is a dry process (no chemicals involved), it has low energy consumption and is easy to operate. The whole system is built on a skid or in a container which results in a low footprint and easy transportable system. It is therefore a clear cleantech solution with low operational costs (OPEX).

Read the press release DMT to supply the biogas upgrading technology in Hawaïi, or read more about DMT and Carborex MS here.

Evonik: Membrane Separation System

Evonik has developed an innovative membrane technology for upgrading biogas into biomethane. With SEPURAN® Green membranes,  biomethane yields of above 99% can be achieved.

SEPURAN® Green membranes have the highest CO2/CH4 selectivity and are therefore a superior technology for upgrading biogas. This selectivity of the membranes enables the production of high purity biomethane with superior methane recovery. This distinguishes the Evonik membranes from other membranes that are available.

Read more about Evonik’s Biogas Membranes.

Greenlane Renewables: Membrane & Pressure Swing Adsorption

Greelane Biogas’ membrane is a newer and fast developing method of upgrading biogas where straw like fibres separate carbon dioxide (CO2) and other compounds from methane (CH4) using the principle of permeation. This process delivers a high methane yield of up to 99%. Membrane designs are best suited to small to medium sized projects where CAPEX is considered most important, compared to long-term lifecycle costs.

Their Pressure Swing Adsorption (PSA) is an effective method of gas separation, particularly where a complex mixture of gases are generated from the feedstock, or where there is high humidity – such as landfill sites. Under high pressure, different gases are attracted to different solid surfaces, or “adsorbed”. The higher the pressure, the more gas is adsorbed; when the pressure is reduced, the gas is released, or desorbed.

Read more about Greenlane Biogas’ Membrane, their Water-Wash Solution and their Pressure Swing Adsorption (PSA).

Hydron Energy: Biogas Upgrading

Hydron Energy is helping hard-to-decarbonize sectors, such as transportation, meet future energy demands and net-zero goals. By slashing both operating and capital costs for upgrading biogas to RNG, the INTRUPTor reduces RNG production costs to align with natural gas.

The INTRUPTor is a disruptive biogas upgrading technology designed to cost about 50% less than conventional systems. It uses advanced rotary valve technology, novel parallel passage contactor media, and a proprietary process cycle, which enable the upgrading process to occur under ambient conditions. As a result, INTRUPTors do not use feed compressors/vacuum pumps, feed gas drying units, nor exhaust gas post-treatment systems.

Read more about the INTRUPTor.

Prodeval’s Valopur: Membrane Biogas Upgrading

PRODEVAL, company founded in 1990, is specialized in the treatment and Biogas upgrading from the methanization of organic waste. The company has developed its technologies for RNG production, Bio-CO2 valorization, and BioCNG production and distribution.

After the digester and pretreatment process, the compressed gas undergoes further filtration within the VALOPUR unit. This is a compact unit housed within a pre-equipped container and composed of three stages of membranes which separate CO2 from CH4 (patented EVONIK process).

Read more about the Valopur.

SYSADVANCE: Shaping The Future of Technology

SYSADVANCE was originally conceived within the R&D laboratory of the Chemical Engineering Department of the University of Porto. With extensive knowledge and experience in microporous adsorbents and a desire to use this technology to benefit industry, these adsorbents remain the core of our gas purification technologies. SYSADVANCE’s ability to predict the performance of our PSA upgrading systems is unmatched in the industry.

METHAGEN AD is a system, based on VPSA (Vacuum Pressure Swing Adsorption) technology designed to purify biogas from Anaerobic Digestion feedstock like wastewater treatment plants, food and organic municipal waste and agricultural waste

Read more about SYSADVANCE’s METHAGEN AD

Ube Co₂ Separator for Biogas Upgrading

UBE Corporation is a Japanese business group with more than 120 years of history. UBE is one of the world´s leading suppliers of gas separation membranes with more than 35 years of experience in providing high-performance membranes for several applications. UBE CO2 Separator purifies the biogas, converting it into Biomethane (CH4) and efficiently collecting CO₂.

UBE is constantly updating this technology and its main advantage is the high resistance to H2S, operating up to 30.000ppmv concentrations in inlet gas to membranes without damaging the material. The high chemical, thermal and mechanic resistances of UBE polyimide hollow fiber membrane also guarantee a long life. The excellent permeability and selectivity guarantee to UBE CO2 Separator a compact process with low CAPEX and OPEX.

Read more about UBE CO2 Separator for Biogas Upgrading.

Veolia’s Memgas: The Ultimate Valorisation From Biogas to Biomethane

Veolia helps communities and industry ensure energy and water reliability, meet regulatory requirements and safeguard public health, all while protecting our natural resources. We introduce renewable energy sources and alternative fuels into the energy mix where it is viable.

The MemGas membrane technology purifies raw biogas into suitable biomethane (>97-99 % methane) to meet the requirements of its final use. However, in order to be transformed into biomethane, a thorough purification of the biogas is necessary.

Read more about the MemGas.

Nacelle: Biogas Upgrading Equipment

Nacelle has designed, commissioned, and operated multiple biogas upgrading systems throughout the United States encompassing a variety of flow rates for gas produced from both anerobic digestors and landfills. We offer individually tailored Biogas Upgrading systems for our customers based on our experience that incorporates the specific attributes and needs of the project.

Nacelle’s Biogas upgrading systems separate carbon dioxide (CO2) from methane (CH4) while removing H2S, H2O, VOCs, and all unwanted elements/contaminants resulting in pipeline quality, ready to use RNG.

Read more about the Nacelle’s Biogas Upgrading Equipment.

Unison: Biogas Upgrading

Unison Solutions, Inc., founded in 2000, is an industry leader in biogas conditioning, biogas upgrading, BioCNG vehicle fuel systems and distributed generation. Unison systems have been installed around the world at landfills, wastewater treatment facilities (WWTF), dairies and food processing digester plants.

Our patented BioCNG biogas upgrading systems use membrane technology to produce renewable natural gas (RNG). Any source of biogas that can produce both pipeline quality and direct vehicle fuel RNG is suitable for use in our systems. Our upgrading system removes moisture and particulates from the gas, while the selective multi-stage membrane system reduces carbon dioxide. The final renewable natural gas quality has a methane content of 98% or higher and less than 2% carbon dioxide. Depending on inlet gas quality, removal of hydrogen sulfide and siloxanes may also be necessary.

Read more about Unison’s Biogas Upgrading.

All Companies are Available in Upgrading

To find more companies and products in biogas upgrading, visit the Products section of our website.

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Sources

• Energiforsk: Biogas Upgrading: Technical Review
• Marmara University: Biogas Purification and Utilization
• ADEME: Principes et procédés d’épuration du biométhane pour l’injection dans les réseaux de gaz naturel (french only)