HAFFMANS BIOGAS UPGRADING SYSTEM ECOFUELS

HAFFMANS BIOGAS UPGRADINGECOFUELS, NETHERLANDSCASE STUDYBIOMETHANE FROM VEGETABLE WASTEKEY FACTSTechnologyMembrane/CryogenicPLANT CAPACITYBiogas450 Nm 3 /hBiomethane225 Nm 3 /hCO 22,520 tons per yearMethane UsageInjection into gas grid according toDutch specificationsCO 2UsageyesBiogas SourceVegetable-based materialBenefits- Full process control withoutmethane slip- CO 2as a profitable product- Low Total Cost of OwnershipThe Dutch company Ecofuels producesbiogas from vegetable-based material.Pentair Haffmans was awarded a contractfor the supply of a biogas upgrading system,that will enable the company to generatemore than 2,200,000 m 3 of biomethane peryear and recover 2,520 tons of food-gradecarbon dioxide (CO 2 ).Ecofuels is an initiative of the Dutchcompanies Laarakker GroenteverwerkingB.V. and Delta Milieu Compost & Biomassa.Laarakker grows 110,000 tons of vegetablesannually on 3,500 hectares (8,650 acres) andsells them to producers of canned, frozenand juice products. Delta Milieu Compost &Biomassa is a vegetable waste managementspecialist that processes 400,000 tons ofvegetable waste to compost each year,which is sold as fertilizer to agricultural andgardening enterprises.A sustainable resources management andrenewable energy concept is an integralpart of Ecofuels’ philosophy. In 2006, thecompany started two biogas fermentersat its premises in Well, in the south of theNetherlands, with a total electrical outputof 2.5 megawatts. Each year 120,000 tonsof vegetable-based material is used assubstrate. A part of the substrate comesfrom Laarakker’s vegetable productioncutting waste, the rest from externalsuppliers. In 2011, the company decided toexpand the capacity of the existing digesterswith an additional 450 m 3 per hour.Biogas is a general term for gas producedthrough an anaerobic fermentationprocess and consists primarily of methane(CH 4) and CO 2 . Pentair Haffmans’ biogasupgrading technology offers two substantialadvantages compared to conventionalmethods.The technique used by Pentair Haffmansmakes it possible to recover 100 percentof the methane, so the environmentallyharmful ‘methane slip’ that usuallyoccurs with other upgrading techniques iseliminated. In addition, the CO 2 by-productcan be recovered and sold as a usefulproduct.Pentair Haffmans and Ecofuels developeda concept how both the biomethane andthe CO 2 by-product could best be deployed.Because the biomethane has the samespecifications as natural gas, it can be fedinto the national gas grid, enabling Ecofuelsto receive the feed-in remuneration that isprescribed in the Dutch renewable energyregulation. Calculations have shown thatfrom the surplus of biogas more than 2.2million cubic meters of biomethane peryear can be produced. Pentair Haffmansdesigned a biogas upgrading system housedin a 13 x 7 x 4.5 meter building. The systemwas installed in 2011. Biogast, a Dutchbiomethane specialist, provided its Bio2Netfeed-in station to connect the system tothe grid and guided the project through allprocedures and permits.In addition to biomethane 2,520 tons ofCO 2 will be produced annually at Ecofuels.During the biogas upgrading process theCO 2 is pressurized and cleaned using anactivated carbon filter. Then, the CO 2 isliquefied through cooling to a temperatureof -24 °C (-11 °F) and led through a strippercolumn where the remaining methane isremoved and is fed back to the membraneunit. The liquid CO 2 flows out of the strippercolumn into a buffer tank where it is storedfor future use. This food-grade quality CO 2 isuseable in a variety of applications includingas gaseous fertilizer in greenhouses, as acooling agent in industrial applications orfor the production of dry ice.FILTRATION & PROCESSBIOGAS UPGRADING - ECOFUELS

HAFFMANS BIOGAS UPGRADINGECOFUELS, NETHERLANDSCASE STUDYOVERVIEW OF THE PROCESS STEPSGas washerScrubbing of biogas with water, removal ofammoniaActivated carbon filterRemoval of hydrogen sulfide (H 2S) and otherimpuritiesBiogas compressorPressurization of the biogasMembrane unitSeparation of biogas into methane-rich gasand CO 2 -rich gasCO 2 compressorPressurization of the CO 2 gas to 17.5 bargActivated carbon filter/dryerCleaning of the CO 2 gasRefrigerationLiquefaction of the CO 2 gas through coolingto a temperature of -24 °C, removal ofthe remaining methane (fed back to themembrane unit)CO 2 storage tankStorage of liquid CO 2 for commercial useActivatedcarbon filterBiogascompressorContainer 1Membrane unitBlowerGaswasherBiodigester100 %recoveredbiomethaneCO 2recovery plantActivated carbonfilter/dryerRefrigeration unitStripperReboilerLiquid CO 2CO 2compressorCO 2storage tankHAFFMANS BVP.O. BOX 3150, 5902 RD VENLO, NETHERLANDS INFO@HAFFMANS.NL WWW.HAFFMANS.NLAll Pentair trademarks and logos are owned by Pentair. All other brand or product names are trademarks or registered marks of their respective owners. Because we are continuously improving our products and services, Pentair reserves the right to change specifications without prior notice.Pentair is an equal opportunity employer.ECOFUELS E-7/14 © 2014 Pentair. All Rights Reserved.