With a new Biogas Solutions unit, technology group Wärtsilä wants to boost advanced biofuel production. The unit combines expertise in biogas upgrading technology with knowledge of biogas liquefaction. Eventually, this may also create new shipping fuels.
The market for advanced biofuels is growing in line with efforts regarding the reduction of fossil fuels, reducing emissions and de-carbonisation of the natural gas grid. Wärtsilä’s biogas technology seeks to remove carbon from the waste cycle, thereby lowering greenhouse gas effects and reducing the level of carbon intensity. Furthermore, fossil driven natural gas grids may see an expansion towards transporting bio-related gases, such as biomethane or even synthetic methane, in the near future. These types of fuel may also be suitable for use in ships.
Biomethane and BioLNG
'Biogas Solutions offers products for biogas upgrading to biomethane, and the liquefaction of biomethane into bioLNG. Currently, our market share in this field is almost sixty per cent, and we expect this to continue to grow as we further develop our capabilities,' says Arne Jakobsen, General Manager, Wärtsilä Biogas Solutions.
Wärtsilä has earlier provided the turnkey installation for the world’s largest bioLNG facility located in Skogn, Norway, and will, by the end of the year, deliver two more bioLNG plants to customers in Scandinavia. Further growth is expected in this sector.
Puregas Technology
Wärtsilä’s biogas upgrading plants utilise its in-house Puregas technology, a process that recovers more than 99.9 per cent of the biomethane present in raw biogas. The process separates the CO2 from the biogas through chemical adsorption. The process is highly tolerant of variations in the raw gas composition resulting from changes in the feedstock.
Picture: Wärtsilä Biogas Solutions combines biogas upgrading with liquefaction to offer a full service for advanced biofuel production (copyright: Biokraft).
