The next step in the fermentation of biomass is the released CO2 purifying and selling to the food industry, was recently revealed during the EnergieDecentral fair, which was part of Eurotier.
A growing number of livestock farmers with a digester equipped with a CHP want to produce biomethane. The company Pentair sells installations to purify biogas and upgrade it to biomethane. Pentair's BioComplete is also designed to reduce CO2 that is released during the upgrading of biogas to biomethane to purify and liquefy it.
War in Ukraine
The last step in particular is popular among digester owners. The reason is that since the war in Ukraine the price of liquid CO2 for the food industry has risen sharply. Before the war, €45 per ton was paid. Now that is at least €150 per tonne and much more during periods of scarcity. The fertilizer industry was an important supplier of liquid CO2. But due to the high gas price, this industry produces much less. CO2-gas becomes liquid at a pressure of 18 bar and a temperature of minus 18 degrees.
Biogas
Biogas as a basis for fuels is also popular. This could be Bio-LNG, for trucks to drive on. But also synthetic biomethanol. Biomethanol also has various applications. As fuel for ships, but also to stoke a heater to heat greenhouses or stables. Biomethanol is CO2-neutral and an alternative for buildings that are deprived of the energy grid. The price of biomethanol is around one euro per liter, depending on the volume ordered. This amounts to approximately 20 cents per KWh. The advantage of methanol over CO2 is that it does not need to be pressurized and is therefore easier to transport.
CHP role not completed
Despite new technologies and the high gas price, CHP continues to play an important role in the energy transition. The decarbonization of the energy market continues. The CHP engines are therefore continuously improved and, above all, more efficient. The engines no longer always run on biogas, but sometimes methanol is also an option. In Germany, 117 Terrawatts of electricity are generated annually with CHP. That is one fifth of the total electricity production. However, the demand for electricity continues to grow. The importance of CHP is therefore not decreasing, especially because a mix of alternative energy sources is required to achieve complete CO2050 emissions by XNUMX.2-to be neutral in Europe.
Source: gfactual.nl
