The repurposing of organic waste plays a key part in the effort to diminish our dependence on fossil fuels and to solve a growing environmental problem. With our challenge to create a clear and prosperous future, our highly selective membrane systems produce proven results in biogas upgrading and compressing or liquefying biomethane.
BIOGAS UPGRADING TO BIOMETHANE
RENEWABLE FUELS
Producing natural gas in a sustainable way can be done by upgrading biogas. Biogas is a gas produced by the fermentation of biological waste products. The two main components of this resulting gas are methane (CH4) and carbon dioxide (CO2). Upgrading means that the methane is separated from the carbon dioxide, resulting in a very pure methane gas flow. Unlike biodiesel and bioethanol, this biomethane has better properties than its fossil counterpart natural gas.
The biogas upgrading process can be performed with our separation technology, which separates methane from carbon dioxide by using innovative membrane technology. This process has the advantages of being a dry process (no chemicals involved), having low energy consumption and it is easy to operate. The whole system is built on a skid or in a container, which results in a small footprint and an easily transportable system. This highly selective membrane system is, therefore, a clean tech solution with low operational costs (OPEX).
MEMBRANES
The membranes inside the separation module are built up of hundreds of hollow fibers, which look like spaghetti. The hollow fibers are non-porous and made of polymers. The separation of methane and carbon dioxide occurs because of the difference in diffusivity rates of the two. The molecular structure of carbon dioxide allows this molecule to pass through the polymer material faster than molecules of methane. Biogas enters the membrane inside the hollow fibers. The separation results in a carbon dioxide rich stream at the permeate side of the membrane and a methane rich stream at the retentate side of the membrane.