Bio-LNG production in Europe – Decarbonising transport with 10%(+) advanced biofuels without (In)direct Land Use Change Peter van der Gaag www.hollandinnovationteam.nl 1 Bio-LNG expert seminar September 4 th 2013 Brussels
Content of the presentation • What is bio-LNG? • Premium bio-LNG versus LNG • Bio-LNG and other liquid biofuels • Comparing bio-LNG with other fuels: eco-performance • How much bio-LNG can be produced • Biogas uses • Bio-LNG: cheapest way to fulfill RED in transport • Two concept of bio-LNG production • 1) Landfill and 2) organic waste • Some possible projects • Conclusions and recommendations Bio-LNG expert seminar September 4 th 2013 Brussels 2
Bio-LNG: what is it? Bio-LNG is produced from biogas. Biogas is produced by anaerobic digestion. All organic waste can rot and produce biogas, the bacteria do the work. Therefore biogas is the cheapest and cleanest biofuel without competition with food or land use. Bio-LNG (LBM) = liquid bio-methane. For the first time there is a biofuel which has always a better quality than its fossil counterpart LNG, so: Bio-LNG is a premium fuel in comparison with fossil LNG 3 Bio-LNG expert seminar September 4 th 2013 Brussels
Advantages of bio-LNG (over fossil LNG) Fuel quality • Bio-LNG is of better quality than fossil LNG. The bacteria do not produce ethane, • propane and butane, therefore: Bio-LNG has a higher methane number than fossil LNG. • Bio-LNG is of constant quality (fossil LNG is not) • This is the first time that a bio fuel is better than its fossil counterpart. • While bio-LNG can be used without blending, it can also be used to improve the quality • of fossil LNG Versatile • Bio-LNG is suited as fuel for heavy duty applications including mobile machinery • But can also be used to produce bio-CNG for private cars with minor additional costs • (this also combats boil-off at the fuelling stations). Environmental • Bio-LNG is able to decarbonise transportation in Europe • Bio-LNG has a much lower carbon footprint than fossil LNG • Bio-LNG can even be carbon negative. • Good for Europe • Bio-LNG comes from own European organic waste (fossil LNG does not) • Bio-LNG only needs short distance logistics (fossil LNG does not) • Bio-LNG delivers much more employment to Europe than fossil LNG • 4 Bio-LNG expert seminar September 4 th 2013 Brussels
The bio-LNG production process Biogas is produced by anaerobic fermentation. The aim is to produce a constant flow of biogas with consistently high methane content. The biogas must be upgraded: removal of H 2 S, CO 2 and trace elements. The bio-methane must be purified (maximum 50 ppm CO 2 , no water) to prepare for liquefaction. The cold box liquefies pure bio-methane to bio-LNG (-162 Celsius @ 1 bar) 5 Bio-LNG expert seminar September 4 th 2013 Brussels
Bio-LNG less complicated than LNG Bio-LNG no dust no mercury, No butane, pentane No radon 6 Bio-LNG expert seminar September 4 th 2013 Brussels
Well-to-wheel CO 2 emissions (source: Air-LNG) 7 Bio-LNG expert seminar September 4 th 2013 Brussels
LNG emissions versus biodiesel: what about bio-LNG? LNG scores much better than biodiesl so bio-LNG!!! 8 Bio-LNG expert seminar September 4 th 2013 Brussels
How much bio-LNG can be made? Enough Source:http://ecocomplex.rutgers.edu/PeterBoisen.pdf The picture shows the status quo of biomethane possibility in transportation in 2003; since then enormous progress in anaerobic digestion technology 9 Bio-LNG expert seminar September 4 th 2013 Brussels
Innovation increases biogas potential Retention time and kind of biomass are important for biogas production. Pretreatment of biomass to open the cell structure is crucial Vacuum pretreatment, steam explosion, hydrogenesis, educated bacteria colonies and elevated temperatures are technologies which changed the world of biogas production: New technologies make it possible to use cheap lignocelluloses as feedstock for biogas production while decreasing retention time Estimate: in 2020 well over 20% of the transportation fuels in Europe can be replaced by bio-LNG from organic waste (without ILUC and food for fuel issues) 10 Bio-LNG expert seminar September 4 th 2013 Brussels
Use lignocelluloses and not food Especially those biomass which have large percentage of ligno- Cellulose are cheap and suitable for anaerobic digestion 11 Bio-LNG expert seminar September 4 th 2013 Brussels
An optimized bio-LNG production process Pre-treatment : with pre-treatment like steam explosion it is possible to digest celluloses and therefore use various cheap feedstocks. Digestion : using good mixes and elevated temperatures, you can decrease retention time and reduce cost of the biogas installation. Upgrading : using modern techniques, you can reduce methane losses and methane slip and reduce energy use. Advanced upgrading : use modules with minor energy use or use new methods (alternatives for molecular sieves). Liquefaction : if you use small scale liquefaction you should minimize energy consumption and use container-sized modules. 12 Bio-LNG expert seminar September 4 th 2013 Brussels
Why does bio-LNG not conquer the market? Biogas can also be used to make electricity Advantage: direct use of electricity, extensive grids Disadvantages: biogas (H 2 S) damages gas engines, possibility of air pollution, electricity is cheap, subsidy driven Biogas can also be used to be fed into the gas grid Advantage: existing gas grid can be used Disadvantages: often no gas grid present, introduction of CO 2 into the gas grid, pipeline gas is sometimes cheap, subsidy driven. Expensive infra to use biomethane in cars (pipeline to gas grid – pipeline from gas grid to fuelling station – high energy use to compress biomethane to 200-250 bars) Overall: vested interests in other biofuels, the above biogas applications and in fossil LNG are high, involved stakeholders are strong players with influence on politicians who sanction subsidy schemes which so far exclude bio-LNG 13 Bio-LNG expert seminar September 4 th 2013 Brussels
More arguments to choose bio-LNG Bio-LNG is the only biofuel which is better than its fossil counterpart Bio-LNG provides a perspective for biogas in places where there is no grid or need for electricity (islands without grid – mountainous areas – parts of New Member States) and as such creates a more level playing field for biogas producers in Europe In contradiction with other biogas uses, the financial support necessary for bio-LNG will be much lower than for feed in tariff of biomethane. The price differential between small scale LNG and (better quality) bio-LNG is considerably smaller than between natural gas and biomethane (“green gas”) in the grid And: bio-LNG can be used to produce bio-CNG, which should be used to set the fuel quality standard for bio-CNG in Europe 14 Bio-LNG expert seminar September 4 th 2013 Brussels
Case 1: Landfills are a waste of land, use them for bio-LNG There are approximately 150,000 landfills in Europe with app. 30-50 trillion cubic meters of waste (Royal Haskoning 2011). All landfills emit landfill gas. Landfills will contribute an estimated 460 to 650 billion cubic feet of methane emissions per year (in 2000) in the USA. You can flare landfill gas. You can make electricity with landfill gas. But you also can produce the cleanest and cheapest liquid bio fuel: Bio-LNG. The gas is for free – turning it into bio-LNG will cost less than natural gas to LNG in certain parts of Europe 15 Bio-LNG expert seminar September 4 th 2013 Brussels
. Hydraulic fracturing increases landfill gas yield and economy of scale for bio-LNG The method consist of a set of drillings from which at certain dept the landfill is hydraulically broken. This means a set of circular horizontal fractures are created from the well at preferred depths. Sand or other materials are injected into the fractures. Gas gathers from below in the created interlayers and flows into the drilled well. In this way a “guiding” circuit for landfill gas is created. With a 3-5 fold quantity of gas, economy of scale for bio-LNG production will be reached rapidly. Considering the multitude of landfills worldwide this hydraulic fracturing method in combination with containerized upgrading and liquefaction units offers huge potential. The method is cost effective, especially at virgin landfills, but also at landfills with decreasing amounts of landfill gas. 16 Bio-LNG expert seminar September 4 th 2013 Brussels
Case 2: 100 tons/day Bio-LNG refinery Production of bio-gas, upgrading and liquefaction to LNG Cambi fermentation unit, Cirmac upgrading, Cryonorm liquefaction) 99% CO 2, LP/MP steam LP/MP steam Bio-mass Groen-gas (90% CH4) Fermentation 90% s Bio-gas treatment, H2S removal of Bio-mass + CO2-removal LNG-gas ( > 98% CH4) LP steam Water recycle Digestate, & treatment Digestate 10% moist. drying NH3 removal Aqua ammonia Electric energy Liquefaction Bio LNG (99% CH4) 17 Bio-LNG expert seminar September 4 th 2013 Brussels
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