Biomethane production from lignocellulosic agricultural feedstock: case studies and projects
For the SAF platform, we have prepared material on one of the sections of Analytical Note No. 2: Advanced biomethane production from ligno-cellulose materials, which contains the actual experience and case studies selected by our experts for this document.
These facilities demonstrate significant progress over the past 15 years in countries such as Denmark, Germany, the Netherlands, the United States, and, in recent years, France and China.
Here we share information about two of the four plants reviewed on the SAF platform. Read about the rest in the full article at the link.
VERBIO Schwedt biomethane facility, Germany
Verbio’s biomethane facility was introduced in 2010 as the world’s first large-scale innovative plant for mono-straw fermentation. It is based on the bioethanol refinery in Schwedt (Brandenburg). First stage was commissioned in 2014.
The plant was planned for extension to reach 16.5 MW capacity by the year 2019, generating 140 GWh of biomethane annually for sale as biofuel from approximately 40,000 tons of straw. For this purpose, EUR 25 million was invested. The working volume of the digesters is 8,000–10,000 m3. The feedstock is supplied by the local farmers in exchange for produced organic fertilizer (digestate), thus ensuring ‘payment’ for the straw. Straw is pre-treated mechanically and thermally. Biomethane is pumped into the local gas grid.
The straw bales used to feed the plant is gathered within a radius of 80 km of the plant to ensure maximum economic and ecological efficiency. In exchange, the fermentation waste is provided to farmers as organic fertilizer. This local production chain is creating employment in the region’s agricultural sector and ensure maximum CO2 efficiency.
The largest commercial straw biomethane plant ever built, China
The plant was constructed in Harbin in 2022. It utilizes 58,000 t/a of corn stover and 58,000 t/a of rice straw102, 103. Sitting on approximately 13 hectares of land, in which half of the space is feedstock storage, it is the world largest biogas plant so far that uses only corn and rice straw as waste input. The installed power capacity of the plant is 30 MW.
According to the WABIO, the technology provider, one can expect a productivity rate of up to 600 Nm3 of biogas per tonne of corn straw on a 65% methane rate. The produced biomethane is further processed to produce bio-CNG. According to the open-source information, total project investments amount to €43 million.
Read the full material with more information about the other installations on the SAF platform.
We remind you that UABIO is a partner of the Sustainable agribusiness platform (SAF).
SAF is a communication platform that brings together agribusiness stakeholders and aims to establish strong links between market players and introduce sustainable approaches in agriculture. For this platform, our team prepares verified professional content on the bioenergy sector.
