Biogas roundup: industry makes strong progress across Europe

Three biogas stories recently caught the attention of our newsdesk, including two project announcements and recommendations submitted by industry experts designed to remove regulatory bottlenecks.

1. EnviTec Biogas commissions second biomethane project in Slovakia

EnviTec Biogas has announced a successful initial feed-in from its 417 Nm³/h gas upgrading plant in the municipality of Ožďany, Slovakia.

The existing biogas plant is operated by agricultural company CITA VIA. It has been operating for 14 years and is operated with maize, cattle straw dung and chicken dung.

In the future, the 750 Nm³/h of biogas-to-biomethane plant will increase production to a maximum of 1,300 Nm³/h of biogas, eventually switching to using waste materials only.

“In the long term, however, we will switch to using waste materials only, allowing us to support the green energy transition in Slovakia even more effectively,” says Ing. Viktor Hegedüs, Managing Director of CITA VIA s.r.o.

This project marks EnviTec Biogas’ second finalized biomethane project in Slovakia.

2. Experts submit recommendations to fast-track biomethane grid injection across Europe

Recently a group of 60 experts put forward measures to accelerate biomethane injection into Europe’s gas grids.

At a closed-door event hosted by the European Biogas Association, policymakers and industry met to discuss the strategic importance of renewable gas in decarbonisation and competitiveness.

Participants flagged persistent regulatory fragmentation and technical barriers that continue to hinder the injection of renewable gas into Europe’s energy system. To address this, they proposed a set of recommendations aimed at facilitating grid injection as one of the necessary steps to accelerate the rollout out biomethane.

Have you read?
Trial proves rice husk pellets can lead to greener steel in India
Three projects shaping the next phase of carbon capture in the UK

These include applying a pragmatic and harmonized approach to gas quality standards, the development of coordinated “masterplans” for gas grids to maximise biomethane injection, and the use of innovative solutions such as the use of virtual pipelines.

Harmen Dekker, CEO of the European Biogas Association, commented: “Europe has the infrastructure, the technology, and the expertise to scale up biomethane quickly. What we need now is decisive action from governments and regulators to remove remaining barriers, harmonise rules, and turn potential into tangible renewable energy that strengthens Europe’s energy security and accelerates defossilisation.”

3. Sublime Energie commissions on-farm biogas liquefaction unit in France

SUBLIME Energie has announced the inauguration of its ‘Charlie’ demonstrator in Plélo (Côtes-d’Armor), northwestern France.

It’s touted as the world's first biogas liquefaction system, allowing for novel on-farm methanisation without relying on gas networks.

This is made possible by a technology that densifies and transports the biogas produced on-site.

The biomethane is transformed into bio-LNG for heavy-duty transportation, while the bioCO₂, a co-product of biogas, replaces fossil CO₂ for various agricultural and industrial uses.

Sublime's approach involves collecting liquefied biogas from individual farms and aggregating it at central processing hubs.

The demonstrator’s capacity is around 180 tonnes of bioLNG and 330 tonnes of liquid bioCO₂ per year.

The first production will take place this year, at the end of the test and commissioning phases.

Bruno Adhémar, President and Founder of SUBLIME Energie, commented in a statement: "With Charlie, we are demonstrating that it is possible to take anaerobic digestion out of its historical constraints.  By liquefying biogas on the farm, we are opening up an off-grid model capable of developing a diffuse agricultural deposit on a large scale."