Biogas-to-methanol demonstration unit: Conversion into methanol will greatly increase the value of biogas. Following 2.5 years of successful lab-scale tests, CERE and partners have been granted support for construction and test of a biogas-to-methanol demonstration unit.
Today, biogas is either converted to electricity/heat or upgraded to methane. Methanol has a higher value than both of these solutions. According to estimates, up to 50 % of the energy demand for transport in Denmark can be covered by methanol from biogas.
In the project BIO-ReFuel (phase 1), CERE and industry partners Elplatek, Unicat Catalyst Technologies, and Lemvig Biogas have developed a novel catalytic technology. The technology has been successfully tested and fine-tuned in lab-scale.
The same partners, with the addition of new industry partner Union Engineering (part of Pentair), are ready to take the technology into phase 2. Both phases have been granted support from the Danish Energy Board under its technology demonstration program EUDP.
The main focus of phase 2 will be the construction and testing of a demonstration unit. The unit will be fitted into a standard, ISO-size container. This is to allow for easy transportation as the technology will hopefully be purchased by biogas producers across Denmark and abroad.
The demonstration unit will be dimensioned for processing of 240 m3 of biogas per day. The process may run either with or without addition of hydrogen. If hydrogen is added, extra methanol can be produced. The project will run for three years.
Main supervisor: Philip Fosbøl
Co- supervisor: None – no scientific staff. All staff will be in industry. Only materials and TAP included.