Upgraded Biogas to Replace Natural Gas - DTU

1. Technical University of Denmark Upgrades Biogas to Replace Natural Gas Biogas is an essential resource of energy supply that will also be used for heating homes. Philip Fosbel, an associate professor at the Technical University of Denmark researches technology to upgrade biogas & eliminate CO2 as well as other undesired substances, sulfur for instance before it is transferred to the natural gas grid. Danish biogas has already replaced Russian gas of DKK 3.7 billion within the first 8 months of 2022, say the trade association Biogas Denmark. As of now, biogas accounts for about 40 percent of the methane in the natural gas grid which is supplied to individual consumers and companies, but these stats will change in the future. Danish Energy Agency envisages biogas accounting for 72 percent of the gas flowing into the grid by the year 2030. Fosbel believes that the existing crisis in the natural gas market will subside gradually in the next 2 to 3 years which will streamline the natural gas supply in the country. Natural gas will continue to be the mainstay of power generation in CHP plants when turbines and solar energy fail to generate sufficient power. Fosbel places his bet on the Thyra gas field and believes that when it reopens in 2024, Denmark will be able to produce the needed volume of gas. This will slash pricing to a big extent and as biogas production is scaled up, the country will phase out fossil gas by the year 2030.

2. He also said that the natural gas grid will be leveraged as a key infrastructure to supply methane produced from biogas and hydrogen produced in Power-to-X-plants where wind power and water are utilized to convert hydrogen into liquid hydrogen through electrolysis. Philip Fosbel also forecasts that it will be a blend of methane and hydrogen that we will use for both industrial and residential purposes. The current energy crisis transpired in the wake of Russia ceasing the natural gas supply, particularly due to the current European infrastructure that doesn’t have methods to supply gas from ships and refueling facilities available in the major ports. With plenty of research projects focused on biogas upgradation and 3 demonstration plants where researchers will test different technologies to enhance the use of biogas, Denmark is all set to smooth their green transition. Another noteworthy project is Bio-ReFuel which will focus on converting biogas into liquid fuel methanol. This plant will have a daily production capacity of 240 m3. That’s not the only project as BioCO2 is another remarkable project which focuses on the utilization of C02 in biogas to achieve better quality with low energy consumption. If you need more information about biogas upgradation, carbon dioxide scrubber, or hydrogen sulfide scrubber, feel free to connect with us.