Transportation Biofuels 5 Feb 2008 1
Biomethane: Upgrading, grid injection and vehicle fuel
Arthur Wellinger Nova Energie GmbH
Transportation Biofuels 5 Feb 2008 2
Member countries participating in Task 37: Energy from Biogas and Landfill Gas
Switzerland: Arthur Wellinger, Nova Energie (Task Leader)Austria: Rudolf Braun, Boku Canada: Jody Anne Barclay, NR CanadaDenmark: Jens Bo Holm-Nielsen/ Teodorita Al Seadi
Southern Danish UniversityEC: David Baxter, JRC Petten Finland: Juka Rintala, University of JyväskyläFrance: Olivier Théobald, ADEMEGermany: Peter Weiland, FALSweden: Anneli Petersson, Swedish Gas CenterNetherlands: Mathieu Dumont, SenterNovemUK: Claire Lukehurst
Transportation Biofuels 5 Feb 2008 3
Biogas Production
Transportation Biofuels 5 Feb 2008 4
Biogas
Desulfurization Desulfurization Gas treatmentGas treatment
CHPBoiler
Reforming Compression
Pressure tankFuel cell
Heat Power Heat Power Heat Fuel
Biogas Utilisation
Transportation Biofuels 5 Feb 2008 5
Application H2 S CO2 H2 O Silox-ane
Heating < 1'000 ppm
no no no
Cooking yes no no no
Engine (CHP) < 500 ppm
no no conden-sation
yes
High pressurecompression
yes recommend ed
yes no
Grid and fuel quality yes yes yes Event ually
Hot fuel cells yes No No conden- sation
yes
Transportation Biofuels 5 Feb 2008 6
Landfill gas
Biogas from AD
North sea natural
gas
Dutch natural
gas
Lower heating value
MJ/nm3 16 23 40 31,6
kWh/nm3 4,4 6,5 11 8,8
MJ/kg 12,3 20,2 47 38
Density kg/nm3 1,3 1,2 0,84 0,8
Higher Wobbe index
MJ/nm3 18 27 55 43,7
Methane number > 130 >135 70 -
Methane vol-% 45 63 87 81
Gas composition
Transportation Biofuels 5 Feb 2008 7
Biogas Upgrading
What are the crucial compounds ?
• Hydrogen sulfide
• Water vapour
• Carbon dioxide
• Siloxanes
• Oxygen, nitrogen
• Halogenic compounds (Chlorides, Fluorides)
Transportation Biofuels 5 Feb 2008 8
Hydrogen sulfide removal:
Biological oxidation:
• Air/Oxygen dosing into the digester
• Biological oxidation on a filter bed
Transportation Biofuels 5 Feb 2008 9
Hydrogen sulfide removal:
Chemical/physical removal:
• Iron chloride dosing into the digester
• Adsorption on iron oxide
• Adsorption on activated carbon
Transportation Biofuels 5 Feb 2008 10
CH4-Flash CO2
6 bar
96 %CH4
CO2 removal with scrubbers: Water washing & chemical absorption
Transportation Biofuels 5 Feb 2008 11
PSA with activated carbon
CarbotechVerdesis
Transportation Biofuels 5 Feb 2008 12
Membrane separation: Low & high pressure
Source: TU Wien
Transportation Biofuels 5 Feb 2008 13
Membrane separation: Low & high pressure
Calendoorn Bruck/L
Transportation Biofuels 5 Feb 2008 14
Electricity production
Transportation Biofuels 5 Feb 2008 15
Biomethane as fuel
Biomethane is the term for upgraded biogas and SNG to fuel quality fulfilling the national standards.
There are two options to fuel biomethane:
• pumping station at the production site
• Feed into the natural gas grid
Transportation Biofuels 5 Feb 2008 16
( ) = Optimistic2005
2010
2015
2020
Biofuels Hydrogen Total
2
6 2
5 2
2(5)
(7)
5-(8) 10
14
2
(23)
( ) = Optimistic2005
2010
2015
2020
Biofuels Natural Gas Hydrogen Total
2
6 2
5 2
2(5)
(7)
5-(8) 10
14
2
(23)
( ) = Optimistic2005
2010
2015
2020
Biofuels Hydrogen Total
2
6 2
5 2
2(5)
(7)
5-(8) 10
14
2
(23)
( ) = Optimistic
2005
2010
2015
2020
Biofuels Natural gas Hydrogen Total
2
6 2
5 2
2(5)
(7)
5-(8) 10
14
2
(23)
EUROPEAN ALTERNATIVE FUELS POLICY % Fuel Replacement, Transport Sector, 15 EU Countries by 2020 ( ) = Optimistic
10
Transportation Biofuels 5 Feb 2008 17
Biomethane as fuel (Source ENGVA)
6.4 million methane powered vehicles:127,000 buses, 113,000 trucks, and 6,200,000 cars running on natural gas or biomethane
Transportation Biofuels 5 Feb 2008 18
Biomethane in Sweden and Switzerland
0
2000
4000
6000
8000
10000
12000
14000
16000
2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008Year
Nbr
of v
ehic
les
0
20
40
60
80
100
120
140
Nbr
of f
illin
g st
atio
ns
Total No of Vehicles Switzerland
Total No of Vehicles Sweden
Total No of fueling stations Sweden
Total No of fueling stationsSwitzerland
Sweden: 51% Biomethane
Switzerland: 26% Biomethane
Transportation Biofuels 5 Feb 2008 19
The number of brands and models in EuropePassenger cars Light transporters Remarks
2 1
3 1
11 1 only retrofited
2 1
3 2 only retrofited
1 1
3 0
3 0
0 2
Transportation Biofuels 5 Feb 2008 20
Trucks and Trucks and buses operated buses operated on on biomethanebiomethane
Transportation Biofuels 5 Feb 2008 21
Biomethane Potentialin EU28 plus CIS
The potential is 17.5 EJ corrresponding to 37% of gas consumption (approx 100x Germany)
Technical Biomethane Potential
0
200
400
600
800
1000
1200
1400
2005 2020
Bio
met
hane
[in
billi
on m
3/a]
BiogasBio-SNGTotal BiomethaneNatural gas
Sources: EU Vision report and IEU
Transportation Biofuels 5 Feb 2008 22
Energy yield (Output/Input):
• EtOH from sugar cane (Brasil) 8.6-10.0• EtOH from maize (USA) 1.34• RME (Germany) 2.2 - 3.7• Biomethane from Gras (D) 3.6 – 5.7• Biomethane from maize (D) 3.3 - 4.2
How does biogas compare to other bio-fuels?
Transportation Biofuels 5 Feb 2008 23
Comparison of different bio-fuels How far can a car run with different biofuels produced on 1ha of land
Transportation Biofuels 5 Feb 2008 24
Vehicle Fuel CO2 Emissions, G/KM
Fiat Punto 5-d 1,2 60 Bi-Power Biogas 9
VW Golf Variant BiFuel 2,0 Biogas 11
Opel Astra CNG Biogas 11
Volvo S60 2,4 Bi-Fuel Biogas 12
Opel Zafira 1.6 CNG Biogas 12
Volvo S80 Bi-Fuel CNG Biogas 12
Volvo V70 Bi-Fuel CNG Biogas 13
Mercedes E200 NGT sedan Biogas 14
Ford Focus 1,8 FlexiFuel E85 (Ethanol) 54
Saab 9-5 Sedan 2,0t BioPower E85 (Ethanol) 69
Toyota Prius HSD Gasoline 107
Emissions of biofuel powered vehicles
Transportation Biofuels 5 Feb 2008 25
Export is an important factor
Germany achieved an export rate of >15% in 2007 The turn over was 650 Mio. € (Source: Fachverband Biogas)
German turn over
Transportation Biofuels 5 Feb 2008 26
The bottle necks:
1. The number of plants To cover the potential approx. 200‘000 biogas plants and 1200 gasification plants are needed
2. The methane emission Methane is a 21 time stronger GHG than CO2. For a optimal LCA total methane slip should be lower than 2%. The actual situation is rather like 4 to 6% emission!
3. The competition with the liquid Biofuels The oil companies (with the worlds strongest lobby group) favour liquid fuels because they do have the necessary infrastructure and logistic
Transportation Biofuels 5 Feb 2008 27
www.iea-biogas.net > Publications
Transportation Biofuels 5 Feb 2008 28
Thank you !
Transportation Biofuels 5 Feb 2008 29
European biofuels• Transport accounts for 30% of the energy consumption
• Less than 2% thereof is biofuel
• 90% of CO2 increase from 1990 to 2010 will be attributable to transport
• Directive 2003/30/EC of 2003 on the promotion of biofuels for transport: targets: 2% by 2005; 5.75% by 2010
• Vision is to cover 25% of total consumption with biofuel by 2030
• Expectation is that 13% of agricultural land will be needed to produce the energy crops
• Biogas is expected to cover around 10 to 15% of biofuel
Transportation Biofuels 5 Feb 2008 30
Siloxanes
At low concentrations and low flows (< 500m3 per hr) siloxanes are removed with activated carbon. At higher concentrations and voluminas by a combination of cooling and activated carbon