Renewable Gasfield – a Biogas to SNG demo plant

Abstract

The Project Renewable Gasfield connects the long-term storage of renewable excess power (from PV) and synchronized regional production of green gases such as hydrogen and synthetic natural gas (SNG). These green gases can be locally used in different sectors or can be fed into the existing gas grid. The so called Power-to-Gas technology (electrolysis and methanation plant) will be assembled within the framework of Renewable Gasfield and “Vorzeigeregion Energie” in the southern part of Styria. A newly erected photovoltaic plant feeds green electricity to PEM electrolysis for the generation of green hydrogen. The electrolysis is coupled with an innovative, load-flexible methanation plant in which raw biogas, without an upstream CO2 separation, will be transformed with hydrogen to green synthetic natural gas. As output gases renewable hydrogen, usable for the sectors industry and mobility, and green synthetic natural gas for feed-in into the existing gas grid will be generated. For the dimensioning of the load-flexible methanation plant variations of the process parameters were tested in the pilot methanation plant at Montanuniversity Leoben. The generated research data provide a basis for a successful realization and commissioning of the demo plant.