Project description
A hybrid system overcomes challenges in biomethane production
Biogas derived from organic waste can be used to produce biomethane that is chemically equivalent to natural gas (methane) and can be easily transported and distributed in existing networks. Biomethane is a renewable alternative to increasingly expensive natural gas derived from fossil fuels, but current biomethane production technologies face challenges and need to be diversified. The EU-funded HYFUELUP project will demonstrate a flexible pathway for efficient and cost-effective biomethane production through thermochemical technologies combined with renewable hydrogen. One demonstrator will convert biomass feedstocks to syngas (a mixture of hydrogen and carbon monoxide) and "clean" it. A second will employ dynamic hydrogen addition for methanation of the syngas (or flue gas). These will be integrated to demonstrate biomethane production at pre-commercial scale.
Objective
The ongoing decarbonisation of the energy and transport systems is a current challenge in Europe. As the rising prices of fossil natural gas make evident, the need to increase renewable gas capacity is undeniable and goes hand in hand with solving bottlenecks that current biomethane production technologies cannot effectively address. The HYFUELUP project aims to demonstrate a flexible and hybrid pathway for the efficient and cost-effective production of biomethane through thermochemical technologies combined with renewable hydrogen. A complete deployment value chain, including biomethane offtake and distribution, will also be demonstrated to contribute to the market penetration of biomethane in key sectors. Thanks to the broad composition of the consortium, the project will blend market knowledge with advanced academic and industrial perspectives to demonstrate the production of biomethane at scale. First, the flexible conversion of low-grade feedstocks via sorption-enhanced gasification will be validated, coupled with syngas or flue gas clean-up, in a demonstrator at TRL6. Then, a second demonstrator will also validate fluidised-bed methanation of either syngas or flue gas with the dynamic addition of hydrogen at TRL6, before both technologies are integrated into a third demonstrator to produce biomethane at scale and reach TRL7. Together, such developments work toward reaching the impacts of the work programme and lead to relevant changes in action and practice via two well-defined impact pathways (“technological development and adoption”, and “enhancing capacity”) that will ultimately help strengthen the European scientific leadership for the development of a highly competitive renewable gas industry, widen the technology portfolio of biomethane production technologies, and improve citizen well-being via reduced climate and social risks.
Fields of science
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Funding Scheme
IA - Innovation actionCoordinator
4466-901 S. MAMEDE INFESTA, MATOSINHOS
Portugal