Your Partner for reliable greenfuel brokerage

Biomethane

Feedstock

Raw materials - usually called feedstocks - for biomethane are organic materials that serve as raw material for the production of biogas. These include in particular

  • Agricultural waste: E.g. slurry, manure and agricultural residues such as plant residues or silage.
  • Food waste: Leftovers from food production and waste from households or restaurants.
  • Energy crops: Specially cultivated plants such as maize or grass silage
  • Industrial waste: Organische Abfälle aus der Lebensmittelverarbeitung oder bspw. der Papierindustrie.

 

Selecting the right feedstock is crucial for the efficiency and cost-effectiveness of biomethane production. A diverse mix of substrates can increase biogas output and improve nutrient availability, optimising the overall process performance.

Production

Biomethane is produced by processing biogas obtained from the anaerobic fermentation of organic materials such as liquid manure, waste or energy crops. The raw biogas is upgraded to biomethane in a multi-stage process:

  • Removal of CO₂: CO₂ is removed by chemical or physical methods (e.g. water scrubbing, membrane process).
  • Removal of H₂S: Prevent corrosion and guarantee the quality of the biomethane.
  • Drying: Removal of moisture from the biogas.

 

After processing, the biomethane consists of at least 97% methane and is therefore almost identical to fossil natural gas. The processed biomethane can either be fed directly into the natural gas grid in accordance with the relevant quality standards or used in CHPs to generate electricity and heat and as fuel for biogas vehicles.

Market

The market for biomethane is experiencing dynamic growth, driven by increasing demand for renewable energies and the pressure to reduce CO₂ emissions. The European Biogas Association (EBA) speaks of an annual biomethane production potential of up to 260 TWh in Europe in 2030. Comparing this with the production of 41 TWh in 2022 or with the year 2018 (20 TWh) shows the enormous growth predicted by market experts.

However, the increasingly complex structures in legislation and regulatory requirements are leading to an extremely opaque market environment. This and the varying availability of feedstocks is the reason to volatile prices and increases the risks for market participants. Despite these fluctuations, biomethane is increasingly establishing itself as an important component of a sustainable energy supply and offers stable long-term market opportunities and a wide range of use-cases.

Your benefits at a glance

xxx

For energy suppliers

  • Flexible delivery options for biomethane
  • Certified biomethane in any quality
  • Contractually secured prices
  • Portfolio optimisation through green gas certificates
  • Reduction of greenhouse gas emissions
  • Efficient power and heat generation (CHP)
  • Reducing energy costs and resource efficiency
xxx

For industrial companies

  • Reduction of greenhouse gas emissions
  • Certified biomethane in any quality
  • Compliance with legal requirements
  • Responsibility and resource efficiency
  • Cost efficiency and guaranteed prices
  • Versatile application options
  • Strengthening the corporate image
xxx

For transport and mobility

  • Offsetting against biofuel quota
  • Compatible with existing infrastructure
  • Reduction of greenhouse gas emissions
  • Flexible delivery options and secure prices
  • Certified biomethane in any quality
  • Reduction of fine dust, NOX  and SO22
  • No adaptation to CNG vehicles

Biodiesel

Feedstock

Various feedstocks can be used for the production of biodiesel:

  • Vegetable oils: These include rapeseed oil, soya oil and palm oil, which are frequently used in biodiesel production.
  • Animal fats: These come from animal waste products and are also an important feedstock.
  • Used cooking oil: : Used cooking oils from the catering and food industry.

 

In Europe, rapeseed oil is the dominant feedstock for the production of biodiesel. Directive (EU) 2018/2001 (RED II) categorises biodiesel from UCO and animal fats as advanced biofuels. One example of an advanced biofuel is HVO100, which was only recently launched on the market.

Production

The most commonly used process for the production of biodiesel is transesterification. This process can be summarized in 4 steps:

  • Cleaning of the feedstock

  • Transesterification of the oils with methanol and a catalyst to produce methyl ester (biodiesel) and glycerine.

  • Separation of crude biodiesel from glycerine.

  • Cleaning and final processing of the biodiesel.

HVO 100 is a synthetic diesel fuel made from hydrogenated vegetable oils and animal fats. By adding hydrogen, the free fatty acids in the raw materials are converted into high-quality, saturated hydrocarbons during hydrogenation.

Market

The biodiesel market is very dynamic, with the EU subsidisation of advanced biofuels bringing new opportunities and challenges:

  • HVO100, which is labelled as advanced biodiesel, has been newly approved and saves approx. 90% CO2 compared to fossil diesel.
  • HVO100 has proven itself in practice, is available on an industrial scale and is generally suitable for modern diesel engines.
  • Supply restrictions: High investment costs and limited availability of sustainable biomass.
  • Production costs: Higher costs compared to conventional biofuels and fossil fuels (1.5 to 3 times higher).
  • EU targets: Increase deployment targets to 1% by 2025 and 3.5% by 2030.

Your benefits at a glance

xxx

Biodiesel

  • Reduction of greenhouse gas emissions by up to 80
  • Biodegradable
  • Improved lubricity reduces engine wear
  • Reduction of dependencies
  • Lower emissions of pollutants such as carbon monoxide
xxx

HVO100

  • Wide range of raw material options
  • Compatible with existing diesel infrastructure
  • Longer shelf life
  • Lower NOX and particulate emissions
  • Reduction of greenhouse gas emissions
  • Higher cetane number
Contact us!
Phone-square-alt Envelope Linkedin

greenfuelpartners GmbH

Thierschstrasse 20

80538  München

Germany

Phone: +49 89 2096 9097

Mail: info@greenfuelpartners.com

2024 greenfuelpartners GmbH © All rights reserved