Application
Vehicles fuel
Biomethane in the fuel filling stations
GM upgrading unit can be joined to new or existing fuel filling stations. The biome thane can be mixed with the fuel methane from the NG achieving the mixing target required by the biofuels. Furthermore the biome thane can be easily stored and transported to the filling stations not connected to the natural gas grids.
Difference from the methane
Biomethane can be filled into the vehicles already utilizing the methane from NG as fuel without modification of the motors. In fact the biome thane has the same chemical and physical properties of the NG both containing almost pure methane.
Why choose biomethane?
In general the biomethane is more expensive of the natural gas (NG) but being a non-fossil renewable energy source, which utilizes biomasses, by-products and residues, makes valuable its utilization coupling in most of the applications the environmental sustainability with the profitability.
by-products and residues, makes valuable its utilization coupling in most of the applications the environmental sustainability with the profitability
Biofuels comparison
Nowadays the vehicles utilizing the methane from NG as fuel are achieving a reduction in the emissions by 21% and 24% respectively compared to the diesel and petrol fuel. In the near future the motors fed with a mixing of biomethane and NG can achieve a further 19% reduction in the emissions. The emissions in a vehicle fed with 100% of biomethane are 5 gr CO2 eq/km only as the electric vehicles.
A comparative analysis on the yield of the products from fermentation of biomass, expressed as km per hectare of dedicated farming, shows that the biome thane can achieve 67700 km which are three times the value achievable with the biodiesel (23300 km) and the bioethanol as well (22400 km). [Ref. Osservatorio Agroenergia – Il Biometano, Potenzialità, economics e prospettive di sviluppo]
Biofuels comparison
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Biomethane
67 600 Km -
Rapeseed Oil23 300 Km
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Biodiesel23 300 Km
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Bioethanol22 400 Km
Distribution
Injection into the natural
Biomethane, after the required drying, odorization and correction of the Wobbe index can be injected into the NG grids connected to civil and/or industrial consumers. Depending on the location and on the rating of the grid, the biomethane must be compressed or depressurized
the biomethane produced by the GM unit. The pressure of the biomethane from the GM upgradingunit, downstream the drying unit, is high enough to be injected into many distribution grids without any further compression which is on the contrary required with the upgrading technologies operating at low pressure. The biome thane produced with domestic renewable resources can be used as a substituted
for fossil fuels profitability reducing the dependence from the import.
For the above the grid injection of the biome thane is worthy to be considered.
[Ref. Osservatorio Agroenergia – Il Biometano, Potenzialità, economics e prospettive di sviluppo].
Cogeneration
The biomethane injected into the NG grid can be utilized in Cogeneration units for combined Heat and Power production (CHP) at higher efficiency compared to the “in situ” cogeneration systems. Furthermore the higher heating value of the biome thane makes
the cogeneration more efficient compared to the utilization of the biogas assuring, thanks to the higher gas purity, a longer life for the equipment.
[Ref. Osservatorio Agroenergia – Il Biometano, Potenzialità, economics e prospettive di sviluppo].
The higher energy efficiency of the biomethane compared to the biogas is even more important considering that, in many decentralized biogas production units, the waste heat from the cogenerator can be not profitably recovered.
CO2 in food ambit
Reuse of
The biomethane injected into the NG grid can be utilized in Cogeneration units for combined Heat and Power production (CHP) at higher efficiency compared to the “in situ” cogeneration systems. Furthermore the higher heating value of the biome thane makes
the cogeneration more efficient compared to the utilization of the biogas assuring, thanks to the higher gas purity, a longer life for the equipment.
[Ref. Osservatorio Agroenergia – Il Biometano, Potenzialità, economics e prospettive di sviluppo].
Application
The biomethane injected into the NG grid can be utilized in Cogeneration units for combined Heat and Power production (CHP) at higher efficiency compared to the “in situ” cogeneration systems. Furthermore the higher heating value of the biome thane makes
the cogeneration more efficient compared to the utilization of the biogas assuring, thanks to the higher gas purity, a longer life for the equipment.
[Ref. Osservatorio Agroenergia – Il Biometano, Potenzialità, economics e prospettive di sviluppo].