HYBRID BIOMETHANE PRODUCTION FROM INTEGRATED BIOMASS CONVERSION

Project Information

HYFUELUP

Grant agreement ID: 101084148

DOI

10.3030/101084148

EC signature date 4 October 2022

Start date 1 November 2022

End date 31 October 2026

Funded under

• Climate, Energy and Mobility

Total cost

€ 11 573 443,92

EU contribution

€ 10 294 334,44

Coordinated by

BIOREF LABORATORIO COLABORATIVO PARA AS BIORREFINARIAS
Portugal

Periodic Reporting for period 1 - HYFUELUP (HYBRID BIOMETHANE PRODUCTION FROM INTEGRATED BIOMASS CONVERSION)

Reporting period: 2022-11-01 to 2024-04-30

Summary of the context and overall objectives of the project

Biomethane is one of the most promising renewable fuels for the decarbonisation of energy and transport systems. As the European Union aims to achieve climate neutrality by 2050, the demand for scaling up renewable gas capacity, particularly biomethane, is becoming increasingly important. HYFUELUP (Hybrid Biomethane Production from Integrated Biomass Conversion) is a research project to develop an advanced technology for biomethane production using gasification and methanation. The biomethane produced will be liquified and used for the decarbonization of long-distance road freight transport and maritime transportation.

Our project started in late 2022 with two objectives in mind:

The first: demonstrate an innovative pathway for the efficient and cost-effective production of biomethane at TRL 7 through thermochemical technologies combined with renewable hydrogen.

The second: Demonstrate a complete deployment value chain, including biomethane offtake and distribution, for contributing to the penetration of biomethane in the transport and energy systems.

These specific objectives will be fully achieved in the second half of the project; RP1 was mainly dedicated to research activities at lower TRL and engineering preparations to start refurbishment and construction works at the main demonstration site.

Work performed from the beginning of the project to the end of the period covered by the report and main results achieved so far

In HYFUELUP, we have been working to achieve our overall main objective of demonstrating a new pathway for biomethane production. We have approached this in a multidisciplinary way (from feedstock supply chain to technology development and final biomethane off-take), to make real progress and maximize the impact for the renewable gas value chain.

Here is what what we did along the way and learned so far.


-- We started exploring the potential of european feedstocks --

The logistics and supply chain team for feedstocks (WP2) has finished the initial research phase, identifying suitable feedstocks for gasification and their locations across Europe. We've analyzed data from consortium countries, focusing on lignocellulosic feedstocks from waste streams (like cereal residues, prunings, and waste from forests and furniture) and dedicated crops (such as grasses, annual crops, and short rotation forestry), detailing biomass quantities, availability, harvesting/logistics, and market prices when available. This information has led to the creation of a comprehensive database, which is now accessible to all partners, assisting in the selection of suitable raw materials for the project, including detailed feedstock characterisation.

-- We started exploring the potential of core technologies for biomethane delivery --

The primary technical team (WP3, WP4, and WP5) has provided significant technical insights. We assessed the properties of real dried digestate sludge and forestry biomass waste in electrically heated BFB gasifiers to support the SEG/Oxy-SEG demonstration effectively and deepened our understanding of these feedstocks' behaviour during gasification. This includes the impact of syngas cleaning and conditioning on the gaseous compounds and impurities in syngas. We also conducted scaled-up experimental campaigns in a dual fluidized bed facility, mirroring an industrial system (WP3). We gathered performance data for the design of the scaled-up methanation reactor using typical gasification gas and biogas, with and without hydrogen addition and tested a broad range of operational conditions for different feed gas mixtures. The plant capacity was well within the design capacity for the demonstration plant, confirming that the selected technology is well-suited for the HYFUELUP project (WP4). We completed the pre-engineering phase and established the design basis for the refurbishment and construction of the demonstration plant. We also used the available design data and the defined project requirements to progress with the detailed layout for the syngas fluidized bed methanation prototype and the procurement of a suitable SOEC solution to produce hydrogen, which will be supplied to the adaptable methanation unit to achieve optimal biomethane production.

-- We started exploring the implications of the concept in terms of sustainability. --

The sustainability impact assessment team has conducted an initial evaluation of the project implementation regarding the exploitation of results. We reviewed the literature on techno-economic and life cycle assessment studies for biomethane production technologies and developed preliminary work on TEA and LCA for the HYFUELUP concepts based on process simulation data provided during the pre-engineering phase. We also defined the methodology for assessing the social and socio-economic impacts of HYFUELUP.

Progress beyond the state of the art and expected potential impact (including the socio-economic impact and the wider societal implications of the project so far)

The expected impacts of HYFUELUP are well underway after 18 months of work. Several decisive actions during the initial reporting period have successfully advanced a more detailed and widely recognized perception of HYFUELUP, and most significantly, of the technology to be demonstrated in the project. We have worked on engineering solutions necessary to deliver the HYFUELUP concept and have strategically planned the required actions that will lead to the final demonstration. However, a highly packed agenda still has to be implemented during the second half of the project to successfully achieve all desired outcomes.

Here is what we anticipate so far:

-- HYFUELUP introduces an innovative concept that promotes biomethane production with higher efficiency and lower costs --

We will achieve this impact by advancing the goals and methods of HYFUELUP. In RP1, HYFUELUP worked on creating the engineering solutions needed to bring the innovative project idea to reality, leveraging cost-saving technical opportunities and simplifications, as well as making processes more efficient.

-- HYFUELUP demonstrates an innovative process that is expected to diversify the technological basis for biomethane production --

We anticipate that this impact will stem from the activities at the main demonstration site in Tondela, Portugal. These activities are projected to accelerate in RP2, with a strong emphasis on refurbishing the gasification plant and building the additional units required to ensure the successful production of biomethane according to the project's concept.

-- HYFUELUP demonstrates a complete biomethane value chain, including production, offtake, and distribution that is expected to accelerate the uptake of biomethane-related technologies in end-use markets --

The project's complementary activities are designed to achieve market impact. However, we realize that this is also contingent upon external factors such as the state of gas markets, natural gas prices, the regulatory environment, and other variables. In the second half of the project, there will be a stronger focus on identifying opportunities for exploitation to ensure that the developments of the HYFUELUP project are fully exploited and taken up by the market.

-- HYFUELUP covers research and innovation (R&I) activities prioritised in SET Plan Key Action 8 on renewable fuels --

The project concept, its results, and complementary research activities initiated in RP1 are already making a significant contribution to the strategic targets set out in the SET Plan by highlighting and improving the gasification-based pathway for biomethane production.

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