Yorkshire Gas Association

Biomethane – Sustainable Gas

24th February 2011
John Baldwin
john.baldwin@cngservices.co.uk
CNG Services Ltd
www.cngservices.co.uk
 Biomethane – Sustainable Gas

• CNG Services Ltd

• Didcot Biomethane Project
• Adnams Biomethane Project
• Biogas clean up and upgrading
• Practical hurdles
• Making Compressed Biomethane (CBM)
• CBM fuelled vehicles
• Green Gas Certificates
• Biomethane Conclusions
 CNG Services Ltd
• Creative/Complex/Complicated Natural Gas Services Ltd:
– Cleaning bio-gas and injecting biomethane into the gas grid
• Creator of the UU Davyhulme BtG and CBM Project
• Developing Didcot project for Thames Water, SGN and Centrica
• Further 20 potential BtG Projects in UK

– CNG/CBM/LNG projects
• CNG Filling Stations
• Supporting CNG/CBM vehicle development
• LNG for vehicles

– Supporting development of onshore gas and storage projects

• Ryedale Gas Project
• Wingas Saltfleetby
• Halite Preesall

We are independent from all makers of plant, vehicles, clean-up,

compression....our aim is to support developers in projects which are a bit
complicated.....
 BG Group Kazakhstan

• We commissioned in July 2010 the

first CNG filling station in Kazakhstan
• 200 buses ordered for Asian games
• CNG is the solution to air quality
(not one CNG bus in UK due to Bus Service Operators Grant
(BSOG) which makes CNG uneconomic for buses in UK)

Most major cities have air quality problems and so

make CNG the fuel of choice for buses – it is
important that EU Fines London £300 Million for
poor air quality......we should have CNG buses in
UK, we have none
 Biomethane Injection - Didcot

Didcot biogas was flared, now used to heat Didcot homes

Biomethane to Grid at Didcot

CNG Services is designer and project manager

 UK’s first BtG Project

Digesters

Propane Storage
Gas bag

Telemetry
Propane Injector

Energy & quality

H2S and Siloxane Measurement
filters

Biogas upgrader

First gas on 3rd Oct 2010 7

 Propane Enrichment

Propane Mixing Vessel

Propane Storage tanks (3 off)

We have to add propane to protect consumers from receiving low

energy gas
 BtG Injection Equipment
Gas quality – energy – odorant - telemetry

Costs £600k today, CSL believes should cost <£200k (Netherlands)

Adnams – BioGroup – the UK’s first BtG
Food Waste Project

CNG Services is providing design and other consultancy related to

the injection of gas into NTS and biomethane sales
Food reception hall, Clean-up,
upgrading and BtG plant
 Food Reception Building
BtG Compound

GTS Plant
(cryogenic
CO2 removal)
Opening Event 8 Oct 2010

Andy Wood CEO, Lord Gummer

Biogas Clean up and Upgrading
Technology Summary
 Biogas Composition

• Methane 55 - 60%
• CO2 35 - 40%
• O2 0.1 – 0.5%
• N2 0.5 – 2%
• H2S 200 – 2,000 ppm
• Siloxanes (sewage biogas)

H2S and O2/N2 important

 Water Wash

• 98-99% of biomethane to grid, 1-2% methane vented

• Can recover heat from larger plants (from compressor cooling
water)
• 14 m high – can have planning issues
• Removes H2S and most siloxanes
• Simple plant, as Didcot, likely to be lowest cost option at <500 m3/hr
 Chemical Absorption

• 99.8% of biomethane to grid, <0.2% methane vented

• Needs significant heat to raise steam regenerate the chemicals
(around 10% of biogas energy) – can often recover most of this
• Ideal if waste heat already available – if not use grid gas or biomass
• Requires less propane
• Less electricity if 2 bar grid
 Pressure Swing Adsorption

• 92% of biomethane to grid, 8% of methane goes with the CO2

• This gas can be flared or burnt in CHP or boiler (but needs to be
brought back to 33% methane)
• No methane vented
• Similar electricity to water wash
 EU Experience of Biogas
Clean-up and Upgrading

• Task 37 Report:

• 42 Water Wash
• 36 PSA
• 23 Chemical Wash

• CSL staff have visited around 10 such plants

 Gas Enrichment

09/03/2011 20
 Propane Enrichment (1)

• Recommendations to DECC for RHI:

– Propane should be added to meet Flow Weighted Average CV
and avoid very large CV shrinkage losses
– Around 5 - 12% by energy needs to be added (depends on
level of O2 and N2 and the CO2 removal process)
– In effect, buying energy in propane at oil linked price but
selling at gas price (the ‘Propane Value Loss’)
– Enrichment plant capex and opex owned, operated, funded by
biomethane producer
– Propane Value Loss should be funded by RHI
 Propane Enrichment (2)

Propane Mixing Vessel

Propane Storage tanks (3 off)
 Propane Enrichment (3)

• How large a propane storage tank is required?

– Depends on CO2 removal technology
• Regulations depend on size
– For <25 tonnes a deluge system is not required
• How frequent propane deliveries?
– Informs on storage tank size
• Where will propane come from?
– Informs on reliability
– If reasonably close by can fill frequently and have smaller
tank
 Practical hurdles

09/03/2011 24
 Capacity in the NG Grid
• Often the gas grid cannot accept the biomethane on a 365
day basis
– CSL believes an issue around 40% of the time
Expected Minimum Hourly Injection Rate (Overnight) Expected in the Driffield
Area Based on Standard Load Duration Curves
1000

900

800

700

600
scm/h

500

400

300

200

100

0
Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec

Cold Profile Average Profile Warm Profile Required Input

• Solution is compressors within the grid (to export gas from

one pressure tier to the higher pressure one that feeds it)
 Oxygen

• GS(M)R limit is 0.2%, we need 1% for BtG

• Usually no blending option
• GL report for SGN Didcot indicates key issue is
corrosion if there are metal mains and the grid is wet
• At present HSE may grant an exemption based on
individual risk assessment in each case
– Key is that grid must be dry
• This is expensive and a significant barrier
• HSE suggesting change in GS(M)R O2 level to 1%
subject to certain information from GDNs re corrosion
 Contaminants

• Siloxanes often present in sewage derived biogas,

can damage engines or requires more frequent oil
changes
• HSE commisssioned GL to review contaminants in
biogas based on EU experience
– Siloxanes should be removed
• Landfil gas likely to have more contaminants,
generally not difficult to remove but will require
additional monitoring

• As an aside, the key issue for landfill is O2/N2

 Network Entry Agreement
• Capacity
• Gas quality
• Measurement standards
• Telemetry
• Nominations – link to gas sales
• Communication

Design and Build Agreement

• What plant is built?

• Funding?
• Maintenance?
• Responsibilities – who builds it?
Making Compressed Biomethane and the
Vehicles that can run on it
 CBM Concept

Typically 1 bar
250 bar

CNG-CBM Storage
Dispenser
Local Gas Grid Pipe

Compressors Cascade

Back-up
supply from
gas grid

4 bar Biogas
Biogas supply from
Propane and Odorant Clean-up Anaerobic
gas quality
plant Digester
0.01 bar
7 bar

Vehicle use and Biomethane to Grid go together

 CBM slip-stream Concept

Transport use and electricity use go together – we have completed

trials with BiogenGreenfinch,Yorkshire Water and Scottish Water in Aug
– Sept 2010
 Passat TSI EcoFuel
• engine 1.4 TSI CNG
• performance 110 kW / 150 PS
0 – 60 mph in 9.5 seconds
• maximum speed 210 km/h
• fuel consumption 5.1 kg / 100 km
• CO2-emissions 119 g/km = ZERO on CBM
• Range CNG/biomethane 420 km
3-underfloor gas tanks, steel
135 Liter (22 kg)
gasoline 400 km, 31 Liter

820 km total operating range – Electric Vehicles have a target to aim for
This vehicle is NOT available in the UK
 EVs in UK are BAD if they
use grid electricity….
• According to US EPA, a LEAF requires 34 kWh per
100 miles or 0.21 kWh per km
• UK minimum elec demand is 23 GW, max
renewable/nuclear is 14GW
• So all electricity all the time comes from gas/coal
• AD Hawkes report gave Marginal Efficiency Factor
of 600 g/kWh (in 2016)
• Include emissions to get coal/gas to power plant
and becomes 660 g/km
• Include transmission losses becomes 700 g/km
Make room in the skip
next to the Nimrods
• So, Leaf emissions become 0.21 x 700 = 147 g
CO2/km
• Golf diesel – 99 g/km - on Well to Wheel around
115 g CO2/Km
• £5K subsidy for 25% increase in CO2.....
 VW Caddy Eco-fuel
• Best selling CNG van in Germany,
launched mid 2006
• Built to run on CNG rather than a petrol
conversion
• Right hand drive is type approved for
sale in UK
• Also available at Caddy Maxi Car – 7
seats
• Good financial savings, good eco
outcome
• New version November 2010

EEV emissions – very low NOX and particulates.

Carbon neutral on CBM – this will become the van that
Water Companies want to have
 MB Sprinter NGT

• Mercedes Benz
• First time MB have designed a CNG
Sprinter from ‘first principles’ (rather
than petrol conversion):
– Very low emissions
– 25% less CO2 than petrol on grid gas
– Carbon neutral on CBM
• Also has petrol tank
– Total range of 1,100 km
– Ideal for supermarket home delivery,
quiet, clean, long range, fast refuelling

Carbon neutral on biomethane – the big white van

for inner city and home delivery
 MB Econic - Tractor

• Distribution logistics
• EEV emissions and 20% lower CO2
than diesel
• Drive at night into cities as very
quiet
• On bio-methane, carbon neutral
• MB bringing to UK in right hand
drive form
• In UK in Q2 2011
• What a great idea for supermarkets

Ideal for inner city deliveries

and loads of <36 tonne
This truck loves biomethane
 Econic Refuse truck
• Refuse Trucks
• MB Econic (see below in Malmo, running on bio-methane)
• Now Sheffield – Veolia!

Significant interest in the UK, initially on fossil CNG but migrating

to CBM as ADs are developed
 Dual Fuel Tractors – MB and
Volvo

09/03/2011 38
 Green Gas Certificates

09/03/2011 39
 Green Gas Certificate Scheme
• Announced on 8 October 2010, system being built, formal
launch on 3rd March 2011 by Renewable Energy Assurance Ltd
• Designed to allow ‘tracking of biomethane from injection point to
customer”
– Integrity - no ‘double counting’
• It is expected that the Green Gas Certificate will be bought by
the gas purchaser and not sold separately
• Allows the gas purchaser to work with the producer to market
biomethane to customers
 GGCS Launch Members
• National Grid
• British Gas
• Centrica
• Thames Water (Didcot)
• Adnams Biogroup (Adnams)
• Milton Keynes City Council
• CNG Services Ltd
• System being built that will allow the system to operate
• Around £20K set up cost, around half paid by above, remainder
from new members in due course:
– Gas suppliers/traders £2,000
– Biomethane producers £1,000
• Once operational the operating costs of the system will be
funded by the gas suppliers/traders as the audit requirements
are focussed on them
– Running costs forecast to be low because REAL already exists
AD Developer – Gas Supplier – National Grid –
Gas Consumer
Gas can be used in
Green Gas CHP, in vehicles, in Gas
Certificate fuel cells, any use Consumer
possible
Scheme
Sale of ‘green’ therms

Normal grid gas

Gas
Supplier
National
Purchase of biomethane Clean-up plant Grid
therms and grid
injection
Inject gas into
grid
AD
Developer
Organic
waste/slurry
Processing via
Anaerobic Digesters 42
 Biomethane Conclusions
• Biogas should only generate electricity when all the
heat can be used
• UK has advanced gas grid and the full support of UK
gas distribution network owners and energy
suppliers
• UK gas production declining, we need to find new
gas resources to supply domestic customers and
improve security of supply
• Biomethane injection into gas grid is widespread in
Europe, no material technical issues
• 10% of domestic customer gas supply by 2020 is a
reasonable target
• Green Gas Certificates offer opportunity to keep gas
into new homes which has to make a lot of sense
and also to fuel dual fuel CNG-diesel trucks
There are no material technical issues or barriers, we just need the RHI
to be set at an appropriate level so that we can get on with it.