Creating Better Biogas Through Greater Gas Monitoring

To create a greener and more sustainable energy future, it is essential to maximise the output of Britain’s renewable energy sources. For the country’s anaerobic digestion (AD) plants, this means making production more efficient which requires - among other things - accurate gas monitoring to ensure that greater volumes of high quality biogas can be injected into the National Grid.

To help AD plants achieve these goals, Geotech recently launched the BIOMETHANE 3000. Created in conjunction with leading biogas plant operators, the fixed inline gas analysis system has been specifically designed for gas to grid injection, ensuring greater accuracy and confidence in biomethane gas quality and analysis.

AD is not an exact science, which is why gas composition monitoring is a critical part of the production process. Throughout production, CO2 needs to be removed and propane added to ensure the calorific content meets what is required by the National Grid. To do this effectively, the breakdown and concentration of the gas produced needs to be checked regularly and in real time - 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

The BIOMETHANE 3000 is currently being trialled by several operators who have complimented its ease of use and helpfulness in achieving successful final gas chromatograph checks. Before the biogas gets to the chromatograph for checking, companies need to know what its CH4, C02 and H2S levels are, so they can react and take action if necessary to guarantee the quality of what they are sending to the grid.

The analyser detects a broad spectrum of gases, which gives operators a more accurate picture of the biogas they create. By using this analysis alongside the historical information, operators can compare outputs and fine tune the process - for example by finding what ratios of biomass reduce the CO2 content, as this will help to speed up the process and make it financially more efficient.

The BIOMETHANE 3000 uses a market-leading approach to monitoring methane and oxygen ranges to provide Geotech customers with accurate readings at first stage analysis, around the 98% methane level and below the 1% oxygen level. One major benefit of the BIOMETHANE 3000 is its ability to record historical data by using remote monitoring, allowing trends to be mapped.

Tim Wilson, Senior Technical Support Engineer from Geotech added: “The analyser notifies operators if there’s a problem a lot earlier due to its more advanced technology. This means that there is far more opportunity to put it right before any chance of downtime. By simply looking at the breakdown, you can see instantly if a change to the make-up is needed.”

By using effective gas monitoring throughout the production process, AD plants can improve the quality of the biogas they produce thereby reducing the cost of flaring off poor quality gas and making sure more high-quality gas reaches the National Grid.

If the UK is to meet its target to generate 15% of the nation’s energy from renewable energy sources by 2020, these small investments could undoubtedly make all the difference.

The BIOMETHANE 3000 is already turning heads in the industry and has been nominated as a finalist for the coveted ADBA awards in July. The product will also be showcased at several upcoming events including the ADBA event - the largest international trade show dedicated solely to the AD and biogas industry to be held in July.

For more information on Geotech’s market leading products, please click here to visit our website or to speak to a member of our sales team call +44(0)1926 338111.