RENOVAGAS project: Power to methane

RENOVAGAS is a research project funded by the Spanish Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness (MINECO) within the framework of the National Program for Research Aimed at the Challenges of Society. The project goal is to develop a 15 kw_el pilot plant for the production of synthetic natural gas (SNG), following a power to methane process, from the electrolytic production of hydrogen with renewable energy sources (RES) and its combination with biogas (as CO₂ source) through a methanation process. Therefore, the SNG obtained is fully renewable. The target is to obtain a SNG with the appropriate quality to be directly injected in the Spanish natural gas grid. The main project innovations include the use of CO₂ from biogas directly, without previous separation from methane, the development of new methanation catalysts with high activity, selectivity and stability, the design of a specific multichannel reactor, suitable to work with biogas (that feature improves the mass and heat transfer involved in the process) and the development of an advanced process control for its integration with RES. The pilot plant of 15 kw_el produces up to 2 N-cu m/hr of SNG. The plant was tested in real conditions, in a waste water treatment plant in Jerez de la Frontera, Spain. Results showed that the quality of the gas produced is adequate for its direct injection in the existing natural gas grid, fulfilling the Spanish natural gas quality specifications. The works done in the project include also detailed engineering for the scale up from the pilot plant to a 250 kw_el size (under study for a second phase of the project), forecast of future renewable power and biogas availability and an economical study to show the feasibility of this technology for several plant sizes and assumptions. The results of RENOVAGAS provide knowledge about the technical and economic feasibility of the Power-to-Methane systems. This technology will enhance the contribution to the environment from the utilization of natural gas for domestic and industrial applications.