1. No category

Biomethane, the Spanish case
Current status and prospects
WORKSHOP MAGRAMA‐SEDIGAS
Madrid, 14th April‐ 2015
Index
Regulation
Standardization
Environment
Biomethane
Raw Material
Production
Cost
Quality
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1. Biogas, origin and applications
Heat
Landfill
Electricity
Sewage
sludge
Vehicles fuel
Agricultural
industries
Waste*
Energy crops
Biomass
Biogas
Biomethane
Boiler
Engines-cogeneration
Gas vehicles
Gas grid
Biogas composition
Biomethane composition
50-65% methane
50-35% CO2
95% minimum methane
2% CO2 maximum
(in accordance with detailed protocol-01)
* organic fractions of household and industry waste
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2. Overview
Biomethane’s production and its injection into gas grids for fueling
vehicles is already a reality.
– Knowledge, experience, abundant raw materials, technologies and
infrastructures are available.
– In late 2013, in Europe, there were 282 biomethane’s plants, 180 of them
were already injecting into gas grids. Source: EBA (European Biogas Association).
The Spanish biogas potential is
estimated to be 1.695
ktoe/year by 2020
(1,68 bcm/year)*.
*(Source: Situación y potencial de generación de Biogás. IDAE)
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3. Biomethane’s regulation
To widespread the use of biomethane it would be required,
- an adequate regulation,
- coordinated actions among the Regulators (Ministry of Finance,
Ministry of Industry and Ministry of Environment),
- coordinated initiatives for Directives transposition within the
European framework.
•
Biomethane in Spain doesn’t have an specific regulatory framework
– a reliable and not subsidized framework is needed
– tax incentives and benefits from the emissions trading are
recommended.
•
The responsibilities among the gas injection stakeholders should be
regulated.
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4. Biomethane standardization
The European framework should be completed for both biomethane’s
injection and its use as a vehicle fuel.
The EC identifies the lack of an European standardization as a
handicap for the biomethane implementation.
CEN Standards are expected to be ready in 2015:
– Specifications for biomethane injection into natural gas network
– Automotive fuel specifications.
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5. Raw materials
Raw materials have an important role in the biomethane costs.
A more binding waste management and recovery regulation, would
stimulate the biogas’ and biomethane’s production.
One of the main sector problems is the solid urban waste diversity in Spanish
landfills.
Some waste have alternative uses. In these cases, they have to be bought,
especially in the agricultural sector.
Sewage
公共下水道
水処理施設
Food
waste
生ゴミ
受入
施設
下水
汚泥
Rural
農業集落排水汚泥
Sewage
Septic tank
し　尿 soil
night
浄化槽汚泥
Source : Dr. Tatsuya NOIKE,
Nihon Univ.
珠洲市浄化センター
メタンガス
Biogas
加温
ガスホルダー
Gas
holder
乾燥
メタン
Digester
発酵槽
汚泥乾燥施設
汚泥脱水機
Compost
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6. Biomethane’s quality
Some quality requirements for biomethane injection into high
pressure gas grid are more restrictive than the ones for natural gas.
– The common practice is to establish different qualities according to the
injection point (high or medium pressure network) or if it is used as
vehicles fuel.
– Biomethane for NGV applications could have lower quality requirements
than the biomethane for injection into gas grids.
Example:
– the maximum oxygen content permitted is 0,3% while in the
European Standard in process, is going to be setted within the following
range: from 0,001% to 1 %, depending on the injection point.
– the maximum CO2 content permitted is 2% for injection into high
pressure networks and 2,5% for injection into distribution
networks. The corresponding European requirement is 4% or 5% on
medium pressure networks.
– The methane content has to be the minimum to guarantee a
correct combustion even though its heating value was lower than
the natural gas that in the network.
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7. Biomethane’s production
Depending on the raw material or the biomethane
requirements, there are different ways to produce it.
quality
The production costs are decreasing quickly. The biomethane
production cost could be soon competitive with natural gas prices.
Waste water produced by 185 people could provide bioenergy for a vehicle.
Source: Smart Green Project
Example:
– Depending on the substrates type, it is possible to get 10 to 400 m3 of
biogas from every tonne of biogenic wastes digested.
– Technologies start being competitive when the production rate is over 200
m3/h.
– Valdemingomez capacity plant is 4.000 m3/h, but currently it is operating at
2.000-2.400 m3/h.
– In order to avoid building new infrastructures that would increase the
project cost, the final use has to be closed to the production.
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8. Biomethane’s cost
Biomethane’s cost depends on raw materials, production process and
quality requirements.
– In some cases, biomethane’s total cost is close to gas natural prices.
– If some requirement standards were more flexible, the gap between
biomethane and natural gas prices could be smaller.
Example:
– The average production cost for biogas anaerobic digestion from
biogenic wastes is around 0,40 €/m3.
– The net cost for compressing and upgrading the biogas into
biomethane is 0,27 €/m3.
The final price is around 0,7 €/m3 (70 €/MWh)*
*Referred to the natural gas Net Calorific Value
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9. Environment
Environmental benefits from biomethane’s production and its use are
clear.
– It is the most biofuels efficient fuel
– Its injection into natural gas grids permits:
• to achieve the renewable energy objectives, to reduce fossil fuels
consumption and to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions;
• to improve security of supply and to reduce EU’s energetic dependence;
• to maintain forests, reducing fire risks;
• to create a green certificate for gas.
The use of the biogas/biomethane
helps to achieve the decarbonisation
target in the automotive/energy
sectors (target 20/20/20), helps to
fulfill the 20% of renewables and the
20% emissions limit.
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10. Some Spanish initiatives
– Parque Tecnológico de Valdemingómez
•
Biomethane injection into the transmission gas grid produced from anaerobic digestion of
household waste.
– LIFE BIOGRID European project coordinated by EDP Naturgas Energy and
Biogas Fuel Cell (finalized in December 2013).
•
First vehicle in Spain who used biomethane and first biomethane injection in the natural gas
distribution network by "Blending" in a gas pressure regulating station;
– Joint venture of Gas Natural Fenosa (GNF), HERA HOLDING and SODENA
•
Project to show the purification and enrichment of biogas from landfill in Góngora (Navarra).
Target: To study whether biogas, once processed and converted into biomethane, has the
quality conditions for be injected into the natural gas network .;
– RENOVAGAS:
•
Project of a synthetic natural gas plant from the hydrogen produced by renewables and mixing
with biogas in order to produce biomethane for inject into the gas grid ; Enagas, FCC-Aqualia,
Abengoa Hidrógeno, Gas Natural Fenosa, Tecnalia….
– FCC Aqualia
•
Two projects to optimize the biomethane production in Sewage Plants.
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11. Conclusions
– Biomethane sector could be relevant in both, Europe and Spain.
– Technologies are available, but in order to be competitive, it is
necessary to reduce biomethane’s production cost.
– It is necessary a regulatory framework for biomethane’s value
chain, from the production to the final use.
– European biomethane’s quality requirements should be established
by approving the CEN standards.
– The quality requirements for biomethane NGV use should be lower
than the corresponding for injection.
– NGV biomethane’s final price would be lower than injection cases.
– In order to reduce the injection cost, injection should be done at the
lowest gas grid pressure.
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