Up to 70 GWh of Bio-LNG per Year for Greener Heavy-Duty Transport
Lohne/Saerbeck – With the official groundbreaking ceremony, Biogas Västra Skaraborg AB (BVS) has launched the construction phase of its first combined biogas and gas upgrading plant in Vara, Sweden. “With the plant we are delivering for BVS, we will produce up to 70 GWh of biomethane per year – a real milestone for us in the Swedish market,” says Maurice Markerink, Managing Director of EnviTec Plant Construction.
The BVS plant – operated by a cooperative of local farmers – will use pig and cattle manure as well as other agricultural residues from the region as feedstock. “The plant is designed to process a total of about 370,000 tons of feedstock per year,” Markerink continues. “With this project, we are jointly fostering rural development and unlocking the vast potential of bioenergy production for the transport, maritime and industry sector. Together with EnviTec and our other partners we are making our Fully Green LBG available in the whole Nordics,” adds Tomas Carlmon from Biogas Västra Skaraborg AB.
Before reaching the final product, several technical milestones must be met. “To ensure optimal retention times for the different feedstocks, the planned five digesters of the facility will be fed separately,” explains Markerink. In total, the plant features a digester capacity of nearly 32,000 m³.
Hygienization of Digestate Residues
When manure from different farms is mixed, hygienization is required. After the two fermentation stages, the material must remain isolated for ten hours in a tank heated to more than 52 °C. The digestate is then pumped into a storage tank. To ensure high energy efficiency, the plant is equipped with heat exchangers that cool the digestate before it enters the storage tanks while simultaneously heating the incoming manure. Additional heat demand is met by industrial heat pumps, which, in combination with heat recovery, reduce overall energy consumption and improve the biomethane’s CI score.
Cooperation with Bio-LNG Specialist Nordsol
The EnviThan gas upgrading plant is designed to produce up to 70 GWh of biomethane per year for the production of bio-LNG. “To achieve this, we are partnering with the Dutch bio-LNG specialist Nordsol,” adds Markerink. Our EnviThan technology upgrades the biomethane to 98 percent CH₄. Nordsol’s process allows for further purification and robust biomethane liquefaction. “With Nordsol‘s patented Flash-2-Sweep technology, the performance of membranes increases 20 times, resulting in liquefaction-ready biomethane without the need for molecular sieves or chemicals,” Markerink explains. “Their technology is tightly integrated with the EnviThan upgrading plant for optimal operability and energy efficiency.”
Strengthening the Swedish Biomethane Market with Klimatklivet Support
The large-scale project is supported by the Swedish climate investment scheme Klimatklivet. Administered by the Swedish Environmental Protection Agency, the program supports investments that result in a permanent reduction of greenhouse gas emissions in Sweden, particularly in the fields of transport (e.g., Bio-LNG, e-mobility), energy and heating, agriculture, and the use of waste and residues for biogas. The level of support is determined by the project’s climate benefit, with priority given to measures that achieve the greatest and most cost-effective reduction of greenhouse gas emissions.
The Swedish biomethane market is largely decentralized, comprising numerous small local and regional networks, biogas plants, and filling stations. Most biomethane in Sweden is transported by road as compressed gas (200/250 bar). A smaller, yet steadily growing, share is distributed as liquefied gas (Bio-LNG). Local and regional gas networks are also gaining importance, offering opportunities to connect industry, cities, and biogas plants with LNG terminals along the southwest coast.
Source: https://www.energigas.se/Media/1ernoznh/biomethane-in-sweden-240327.pdf
