A first for NL in bio-LNG

The first bio-LNG (Liquified Natural Gas) plant was opened in Amsterdam, the Netherlands on 14 October 2021, and represents a collaboration between three Dutch companies.

The expected output of the plant is 3.4 kilotonnes per annum, which should equate to around 14.3 kilotonnes of CO2 being abated where the bio-LNG replaces fossil LNG fuel.

The three companies contribute to the project in different ways:

• Nordsol - the Dutch technology company is providing the plant which will process biogas, upgrading and liquefying to the final product.
• Renewi - is a Dutch green company operating in the waste-to-product space, and have provided both the site for the plant as well as the biogas feed from their waste and anaerobic digestion facilities.
• Shell - the oil and gas multinational will take the output from the Bio-LNG plant and offer it to their customers at the various Netherlands filling stations.

During the upgrading of the biogas to biomethane (renewable natural gas), the carbon dioxide is removed and collected and is intended to be sold as a byproduct to greenhouses in the horticulture industry.

“The use of smart, energy-efficient technology is the basis for a local, circular economy and a healthy business case,” said Jerom van Roosmalen, CEO of Nordsol.

Also noting the opportunities for retro-fitting the Nordsol technology to existing biogas facilities, “The Netherlands has approximately 260 ‘traditional’ biogas plants. Most of these can be made suitable for the production of bio-LNG. With the technology used by the biogas plant of Renewi in Amsterdam, bio-LNG can also be produced in many other places in the country.”

Biomethane for transport in the Netherlands

According to the EBA, transport usage accounted for 15% of all biomethane produced in the Netherlands in 2019.

While bio-LNG is a new development for the Netherlands, bio-CNG is a relatively common offering in the nation, with Orange Gas being one of the prominent suppliers.

According to NGVA, there are currently 204 filling stations in the Netherlands which offer natural gas fuel in either CNG and/or LNG form.

In the Netherlands, biomethane usage as a renewable fuel in the transport sector is associated with the local renewable energy ticket, the HBE. Fuel suppliers must provide a certain proportion of their fuel deliveries as green fuel, which is related to the national transport GHG target, and HBEs are used for such claims.

Source

Bioenergy Insight