Biomethane production has started at the site in Höganäs. In August, an important milestone in the project was achieved when the actual trials in the demonstration plant in Höganäs could begin – biological methanation of syngas from biomass gasification. The Swedish demo plant is now fully installed and long-term trials have begun.
The construction has been a collaboration between Wätsilä, responsible for the design and construction of the reactors, and RISE, responsible for the design and construction of the other components. Over the past six months, intensive work has been underway to complete the construction and perform operational tests remotely at RISE’s labs. A major milestone was reached before the summer when the entire plant was delivered to the site in Höganäs and the installation of the complete system could be carried out. After the holidays, work began on preparing an inoculum– a liquid containing the microbial culture that will be established in the bioreactors to catalyze the conversion of syngas to methane.
The second major milestone was reached in August 2024 when syngas feeding could be started after the inoculum was introduced. Thus, the long-term trials that will last until 2026 have now officially started. Today, although at low syngas load, we have a good conversion of both CO and H₂, and methane is produced from forest residues through biological methanation of syngas from Cortus‘ gasification plant at the Höganäs AB metal powder plant.
The focus going forward will now be to build up the biology of the reactors by gradually increasing the syngas load until maximum capacity is reached. At the same time, work continues to address any arising teething problems.
The demo plant for exsitu biological syngas metanisation installed at the site in Höganäs. In the background the Cortus Woodroll gasification plant where the syngas is produced.
The mobile demo plant on its way from RISE´s labs to the site in Höganäs.
