Biogas

Biogas, produced through the breakdown of organic matter in the absence oxygen, is composed primarily of methane and carbon dioxide. This process occurs in landfills as well as anaerobic digesters loaded with waste such as sludge, manure, or other organic waste.

Biogas can be efficiently turned into biomethane/renewable natural gas (RNG) through purification and removal of carbon dioxide, water, oxygen, and other impurities. The biomethane/RNG product can then be used onsite or injected directly into a natural gas pipeline and used in any application that currently takes fossil natural gas. This includes power generation and vehicle fuel, which can be compressed natural gas (CNG) or further production of renewable hydrogen for fuel cell electric vehicles.

As a source of renewable energy, RNG upgraded from biogas can replace natural gas from fossil sources. Farmers, landfill owners, manufacturers, and local authorities can thereby process their waste while utilizing the energy it contains as well as its financial potential.

Air Liquide's purification solution allows biogas from a variety of sources to be used in renewable energy applications.

In order to turn the biogas into a substitute for natural gas, the carbon dioxide (CO2) and other pollutants must be removed. Air Liquide has membrane-based technical solutions that allow biogas producers to efficiently turn biogas into RNG/biomethane.

The technology used to separate the two main components of biogas - methane and carbon dioxide - is based on the use of polymer membranes manufactured by Air Liquide Advanced Separations (ALaS). Depending on the biogas composition, a combination of highly selective and permeable membranes will be configured into an overall upgrading system tailored to the project.

Air Liquide systems are efficient, flexible, easy to operate and can be specially designed to meet the customer’s needs.

• Treats raw biogas flows ranging from 50-10,000 standard cubic feet a minute (SCFM)
• Handles feed gas from a variety of biogas sources such as landfills, agricultural digesters, wastewater treatment plants, food waste digesters, and industrial wastewater treatment plants
• Generates RNG/biomethane with a of methane (CH4) content between 96.5% and 99%, depending on its purpose
• Includes designs ranging from 95% to 99.5% methane recovery

Whether you are a landfill or digester owner looking for full project development, or would like to purchase the biogas upgrading equipment only, Air Liquide offers flexible and scaled solutions to meet your project’s needs. Our talented and experienced team of technical experts, project developers, and end-use market specialists help you find the best fit for your biogas project.

Membrane technology for upgrading Biogas to bio-methane