Contact person
Johan Andersson
Forskare
Contact JohanBiological methanation
Biological methanation is a technology used to produce methane from other gases. The technology increases the methane production potential because hard-to-digest solid materials can be gasified and then converted into biogas. It also makes it possible to convert carbon dioxide into methane through the use of hydrogen.
Methanation is a process that creates methane from other gases. The aim is to increase the production of climate-neutral methane and thus contribute to both the phasing out of fossil energy sources and a reduced dependence on imports. There are two technology pathways: catalytic and biological. In biological methanation, methane-forming microbes drive the conversion process. Another commonly used term for biological methanation is gas fermentation, which is, however, an umbrella term that also includes other techniques.
Syngas methanation is based on syngas for methane production. The value chain starts with the use of a solid material, such as residual streams from the forest industry, which is converted thermochemically through gasification or pyrolysis. The processes generate a gas phase that can be further refined through biological methanation into biomethane. Through the value chain, a low-grade solid fuel is thus converted into a high-grade energy carrier in the form of methane, which can replace fossil gas (natural gas).
RISE has worked with biological syngas methanation in the Trickle Bed Reactor (TBR) in several projects and has been part of the development of the concept. Through the technology, sustainable value chains are created with high utilization of the resources found in residual products from the forest industry. The major advantages of the biological technology pathway are its tolerance to contaminants, high selectivity to the end product methane, the lower process pressures and temperatures that can be maintained, and the lower investment threshold that provides downward scalability and makes the technology usable even for relatively small plants.
Another use of biological methanation is to upgrade raw gas (biogas) using hydrogen boost in a methanation reactor. With the help of hydrogen, the remaining carbon dioxide can be converted into methane and an increased production of methane gas is achieved. In this way, the carbon atoms are used more efficiently.
RISE is at the forefront of technology and has a number of collaborations in the field nationally and internationally. Biological syngas methanation, which is not yet available in full scale, has proven effective on a lab scale in recent years on a scale of 5-35 L reactor volume. Right now, the construction of a larger pilot plant with 5m3 reactor volume is underway and upcoming pilot runs (from 2024) will answer whether the reactor efficiency is affected by the scale-up.
