Paper details

Title:

Methane Emissions from Biogas Upgrading Plants

Author(s):

Knoll, L.

Document(s):

Abstract:

Biogas upgrading plays a crucial role in converting biogas into high-quality biomethane, contributing to sustainable energy production. Given methane's potent greenhouse gas properties, minimizing emissions is crucial for environmental, economic, and safety reasons. This study investigates fugitive methane emissions at 15 biogas plants with biogas upgrading, highlighting significant findings on emission rates and sources. On average, 3.5 leaks per BGP and 1.5 leaks per BGUU were identified. Quantitative analysis of 46 leaks revealed substantial variability in emission rates, with fermentation processes showing the highest emissions. Key sources contributing to methane emissions included membrane seals (2354 g h.¹), overpressure valves (893 g h.¹), and pipe penetrations (611 g h.¹). In contrast, BGUU leaks exhibited lower emission rates averaging 156 g h.¹. Biogas Upgrading processes have different slip characteristics. Amine scrubbing demonstrated the lowest methane slip at 0.08%, contrasting with rates of 0.47 %, 1.1 %, and 1.4 % for water scrubbing, membrane separation, and PSA, respectively. The total methane emission factor across the 15 biogas plants examined was 0.44 %. These findings underscore the critical role of effective leak detection and mitigation strategies in minimizing methane emissions from biogas facilities, thereby enhancing environmental sustainability and operational efficiency.

Keywords:

biogas, biogas upgrading, methane emissions, regenerative thermal oxidizer, leak detection

Topic:

Biomass Conversion for Bioenergy

Subtopic:

Anaerobic digestion for biogas and biomethane production

Event:

32nd European Biomass Conference and Exhibition

Session:

4DO.1.1

Pages:

528 - 530

ISBN:

978-88-89407-24-0

Paper DOI:

10.5071/32ndEUBCE2024-4DO.1.1

Price:

FREE