Page 15 - EurOil Week 33 2022

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Ruhe launches first “compact” bio-LNG unit

GERMANY GERMAN biogas plant operator Ruhe Biogas pre-treatment, upgrading, liquefaction of biom-
announced last week the launch of its first “com- ethane and the liquefaction of CO2, with associ-
Ruhe Biogas says its a pact” bio-LNG plant at Darchau, near Hamburg. ated storage and cryogenic tank filling.
model for other farms to Deploying the company’s Greenline Liquid The pair also signed a deal for a second facil-
follow across Germany. technology, the plant processes biogas from liq- ity with a capacity of 8 tpd, which will supply
uid manure and dung into up to 3 tonnes per day customers of Green Line Liquid Anlagenbau, an
(tpd) of bio-LNG for the heavy-duty transport affiliate of the Ruhe group.
sector. It is expected to serve as a model to show
German farmers can add liquefaction modules German biogas neglect
to their existing biogas plants. Bioenergy and German farmers’ associations
“We could do with a lot of small, decentral- have criticised the country’s renewable energy
ised bio-LNG plants in Germany right now,” act (EEG) amendment, passed by Parliament
Ruhe Biogas-Service shareholder Kunibert Ruhe on July 6, complaining that it does not provide
said. “In principle, any agricultural operation can enough support for biogas.
become a bio-LNG production facility, as they “It is completely incomprehensible that in
can produce biogas self-sufficiently in the form the middle of this far-reaching energy crisis, a
of a circular economy using residual materials sustainable domestic energy source such as bio-
from their own farms and from businesses in the gas is being curbed in the production of electric-
region and refine it into bio-LNG.” ity, heat and biomethane,” the German Farmers’
While trucks only account for 6% of vehi- Association commented at the time, warning
cles on Germany’s roads, they result in 30% of that the neglect of biogas would make Germany
CO2 emissions in transport, according to Ruhe “even more dependent on coal and natural gas
Biogas. Fleet operators can significantly reduce in the crisis.”
their CO2 emissions by replacing diesel with EEG was amended with the aim of rapidly
bio-LNG, which can have even negative CO2 expanding renewable energies in Germany,
emissions if produced sustainably. to bolster domestic energy supply in the face
“Only about 30% of farm manure is currently of disruptions in Russian gas deliveries. But it
used in conventional biogas,” Ruhe said. “If we “almost completely ignores” the potential for
were to use 100% in the future and process it bioenergy,” industry association Hauptstadt-
into bio-LNG, we could supply about 37% of the buro Bioenergie said in its own statement.
truck fleet.” The associations both argue that the amend-
The bio-LNG produced in the Darchau ment does not secure funding for biogas projects
plant has been secured in an offtake agreement in the long term. They want to see an economic
with Osnabrueck-based energy company Q1 incentive provided for plants already in service
Energie. once the existing remuneration period ends.
In March this year, Ruhe Biogas and Ecos- “Currently, biogas plants can be operated
pray announced plans to build two more profitably due to high energy prices, but they
plants for bio-LNG production and three CO2 need a safeguard on the revenue side, as there
liquefaction systems. Each project involves are continuous investments to be made,” Haupt-
the construction of a complete system for stadtbuero Bioenergie said. ™

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