New customizable and cost-efficient solution for high demand of upgrading biogas to biomethane

The need and demand for upgrading biogas to biomethane are very high across Europe and also in Biovoima’s main market area in the Baltic countries, Poland, and the Nordic countries. The new BIOupgrade^CH4 biogas upgrading unit addresses this demand with its agility and cost-effectiveness. The demand is growing rapidly due to the green energy transition and the abandonment of Russian natural gas.

BIOupgrade^CH4 biogas upgrading unit processes raw biogas into pure biomethane suitable for injection into the natural gas grid, industrial use, or for use in transportation. The new Biovoima´s biogas upgrading system is an automatic, easily monitored and remotely controlled refining system, that utilizes membrane technology from world’s leading membrane supplier, Air Products. BIOupgrade^CH4 enables efficient gas upgrading to over 99 % methane content.

According to CEO of Biovoima, Eero Tilsala, own product improves the production and delivery reliability of biogas upgrading equipment for customers. “We are excited about our new competitive biogas upgrading solution, which enables a faster response to the high demand for biomethane and its quality. When biogas is upgraded to usable biomethane, gas pretreatment before upgrading plays a crucial role in the quality of the end product. In the pretreatment process, for example, hydrogen sulfide and other impurities are removed as part of the upgrading process. This well-known challenge has been taken into account in the design of BIOupgrade^CH4. The solution is adaptable to various initial requirements, where the amounts of impurities may vary significantly depending on the raw materials used in biogas production,” Tilsala explains.

Flexible operating capacities with membrane-based upgrading

Membrane is a biogas refining method where the gas to be purified flows through hundreds of thin, spaghetti-like tubes. Carbon dioxide and biomethane are separated based on their different permeabilities. Purification usually occurs in two or three stages, meaning the gas is recycled within the process. This achieves high product quality and minimal methane loss.

Tailored solutions for upgraded gas to grid, maintenance for longer lifecycle

Biovoima´s BIOupgrade^CH4 has been designed with expertise to meet the needs and requirements of customers, says Toni Hiltunen, Product and Development Director of Biovoima. “The upgrading unit enables customization not only for biogas upgrading to biomethane, but also injecting biomethane into the natural gas grid. BIOupgrade^CH4 can be integrated to Biovoima`s grid injection unit, BIOadapter^CH4. In this case, upgrading unit will take care of not only biogas upgrading, but also of measuring the quantity and quality of the gas, ensuring monitoring and billing for the produced biomethane”, adds Hiltunen. To ensure the highest possible utilization rate and decades-long lifecycle, Biovoima takes care of scheduled maintenance of the equipment and also provides remote support. Biovoima handles maintenance of its solutions with its expertise and also ensures that spare parts are available on time, even up to 24/7 emergency services.

Advantages of BIOupgrade^CH4 upgrading unit:

• Suitability for even for small-scale applications, starting from 50 Nm³/h
• High methane content in the end product, with low methane loss
• Possibility of carbon dioxide capture
• Reliable technology
• Affordable acquisition cost
• No need for water or chemical usage
• Easy, automated, remote-controlled operation equipped with real-time energy consumption monitoring
• Modular structure, enabling various financing solutions
• Biovoima’s maintenance and remote support services