EN

FR

ES

CONTACT US

Biogas & Biomethane Purification

biomethane upgrading with activated carbon

What is Biogas?

Biogas is the name given to methane produced from the anaerobic decomposition of organic waste. Biogas is produced in various processes, such as landfills, wastewater treatment plants (WWTP) and anaerobic digestion (AD) facilities, which are typically fed with food waste, energy crops or agricultural by-products. Biogas is used to create renewable energy, either by burning it in a combined heat & power (CHP) engine to create electricity, or via injection into the natural gas grid, where the biogas upgrading process results in  high purity biomethane.

Biogas typically contains a range of impurities, which need to be removed from the gas, via biogas filtration, to prevent damage to the CHP engine, or to generate biomethane of sufficient purity to be suitable for grid injection.

Activated carbon is widely used in the renewable energy industry for biogas filtration and/or biogas upgrading, to remove contaminants including hydrogen sulfide (H2S) and various VOCs such as siloxane, pinene and limonene.


CPL Activated Carbons is a leading supplier of carbons and services into the renewable energy sector, and has a great deal of experience in helping customers select the right carbons and filters for this complex and varied application.

We are also active members of the Renewable Energy Association (REA) and regularly exhibit at the annual expo organised by the Anaerobic Digestion & Biogas Association (ADBA) and the World Biogas Association (WBA).

 

In the production of renewable energy – ie biogas and biomethane – activated carbon is used for the removal of various unwanted gas phase contaminants (notably siloxane and H2S), either for engine protection in combined heat & power (CHP) generators, or for the purification of biomethane prior to injection into the grid (gas-to-grid, G2G) or use as a vehicle fuel.

Biogas is methane formed by the anaerobic digestion (AD) of organic material. Biogas can be formed from various sources:

– Landfills
– AD facilities running on agricultural waste, including manure and so-called ‘energy crops’, or municipal/industrial food waste
– The digestion of sewage sludge at wastewater treatment plants (WWTP) – see our recent article in the Water Industry Journal.

Contaminants that typically require removal from the biogas stream will depend on the nature of the organic waste, but biogas filtration / upgrading typically includes:
– Siloxanes, which commonly occur in consumer products and can cause deposition of silica inside CHP engines. There are two main types of siloxane contaminant – linear siloxanes and cyclic siloxanes, and we offer optimised activated carbon products for each type
– Hydrogen sulfide (H2S – aka. hydrogen sulphide) which is odorous and toxic, and can react with moisture to form corrosive acids
– Various other odorous compounds and VOCs, such as ammonia (NH3), pinene and limonene


CPL Activated Carbons is a leading supplier of activated carbon products and services into the renewable energy sector, both for biogas purification / filtration and biogas upgrading (biomethane).

We can offer the following:
– Activated carbons for biogas purification, typically extruded pellets or larger-sized GAC. For siloxane and VOCs removal from biogas these are standard pellets, whereas for H2S and NH3 we offer speciality impregnated grades.
– For biomethane applications (biogas upgrading), where very low levels of moisture are required in the final gas stream, we offer a super-dried grade of regenerated extruded pellet, called Filtracarb® EXR4-D, for VOCs and siloxane abatement
– A range of VOCSorber® mobile carbon filters, typically 2m3, 5m3 or 30m3
– Regeneration of spent carbons at our ‘amber list’ reactivation facility in the UK, one of the largest such facilities in Europe.
– Sites Services, including carbon/filter installation and changeout operations.
– Engineering support for filter design, pipework, attachments and operational advice.

Carbons

– For siloxane removal from biogas and general abatement of VOCs we offer virgin carbon pellets, such as Filtracarb® EX64, or our UK-made reactivated product Filtracarb® EXR4. We also offer large GAC products, such as Filtracarb® CX64 (virgin) and CXR4 (regen)
– For the biomethane (gas-to-grid, G2G) industry, where moisture levels must be kept very low, we have developed an ultra-dry version of our regenerated pellet called Filtracarb EXR4-D, ideally suited to siloxane removal
– For hydrogen sulfide H2S removal from biogas, plus other odorous and corrosive inorganic acid gases, we have a range of impregnated activated carbon products from our Filtracarb® SA range, the optimum choice being influenced by factors including process conditions, oxygen levels and the treatment objective.

Related Applications

Air & Gas Purification
Flue Gas Treatment

Services

Biogas & Biomethane Purification - - CPL Activated Carbons

– Broad range of Clean-Flo® VOCSorber® mobile carbon filters, ranging from 2m3 and 5m3 mobile units, up to our flagship 30m3 activated carbon vessel. Smaller units are delivered via flat-bed/Hiab, whereas our large carbon filters are installed via dedicated tipping trailers (see image above).
Site Services, including carbon/filter installation and spent carbon removal/changeout.
Reactivation of spent carbons at our UK ‘amber’ regeneration facility, including our new ‘CR3’ facility for handling high-sulfur spent carbons from biogas and biomethane facilities.

 

GET IN TOUCH

For further information please contact us or call +44 1942 824 240

Water Treatment Brochure

Please enter your email for instant download of our Water Treatment Brochure.