Methanation and

gasification
Shankar Raman Dhanushkodi, PhD
 Production and separation facility

Pressure relief system

Separators

Vessel Internals

Gaseous Fuel Oil-water-gas separation

Two stage separation

Electrolysers

Hydrogen Fuel cells

Methanation and gasification

Purchasing Electricity

COMPARISON TO THE
PRICES IN THE CURRENT ELECTRICITY COSTS ELECTRICITY DEMAND EFFICIENCY
SALE

USE OF SYNTHETIC
METHANE AT THE
MARKET VALUE OF
USE OF WASTE HEAT FLUCTUATING
OXYGEN
ELECTRICITY
GENERATORS
 • Heterogeneous, gas-catalytic or
biological synthesis of CH4 from H2
and CO/CO2
• Biological and Electrochemical
path

Methanation • Gas purification in chemical or

petrochemical industries is another
widely used application of the
methanation process
• Substitute natural gas (SNG) from
synthesis gas derived from coal or
biomass
 The usage or transport of
Storage of synthetic
synthetic methane can fall
methane is far less
back on an existing
demanding
infrastructure

The production and usage

of synthetic methane has
The billing of synthetic
methane is far less complex
because of similarity or
Synthetic
low restrictions equal calorific value as
conventional natural gas
methane
The production of synthetic
Synthetic methane can be methane solves the
fed in with NG network as problem definition of an
long as norms are being met potential dependence on
other market participant
State of the Art of
Methanation
Processes
About the
process
Low temperature process yields
High equilibrium Better
constants Conversion rate

The product composition influenced by

the methanation process
reaction
reactor types
parameters
 Catalyst
• Fe-group, the Co-group and the Ni-
About the group, Si based carrier and Zeolite
• cost and satisfactory performance
process • kinetics, conversion rate and selectivity
of the process
 First oil crisis in 1970
Concept of
coal to gas Process path for the Substitute natural gas

(CtG) and • Gasification

• Gas cleaning
Coal to • Conditioning

liquid (CtL) •
•
Methanation
Injection of the produced gas
 • Year 2000
• Biomass as a feed stock

Concept of • Assessed in Small plants

• Process path for the Substitute natural
Biomass to gas gas
• 2-phase systems (gaseous educts,
(BtG) and solid catalyst): – Fixed bed –
Fluidized bed – Coated

Biomass to honeycombs
• 3-phase systems (gaseous educts,

liquid (BtL)
liquid heat carrier, solid catalyst) –
Bubble column (slurry)
• Exothermic reactions
• Temperature regulation is difficult
Fixed bed Methanation

• Homogeneous, static catalyst

bed
• Pellet type
• 400–500 °C
• cascade of reactors with gas
cooling, gas recycling and
reaction heat recovery

Haldor Topsøe TREMP™ process

Fluidization
Fluidized bed methanation
Applications of a Power-to-Gas plant

1 2 3
Substitute replacement Add reconversion Load management
investments in the electricity technologies—like a fuel problem of the power
grid extension for cell—for private
transmission networks
system
households, enterprises or • high production of electrical
• transport of energy can be
transferred to the gas system
technical systems energy from renewable energy
• reduction of infrastructure costs in • Cheap and guarantee a year- sources can br optimized
the electricity network round supply
Applications
Wind and/or photovoltaic
Gas grid operators Hydrogen service provider
system operator
• Improves the utility • Ability to improve both • Cessation of priority
• Expansion capacity and utility and expansion schemes for renewable
strategies capacity equivalent to NG energy sources in the
grid electricity market
• Mix with NG grid
• Annual full load hours can
be increased
• energy unit for intermediate
storage to price-to-sell at
optimum times in the
electricity market
 • Biogas plant operator
• use and retention of carbon dioxide with the production of
synthetic methane and to increase the overall efficiency
• Gas storage operator/traders
Applications • additional natural gas production, a higher utilization of gas
storage at specific times
• the production of a new renewable gas product also a
renewable storage product
• Ability to negotiate with the gas traders and purchasers
• Saleability of the gas product
• Industrial plant operator
• New material from power to gas concept
• REACHABILITY to remote and demand areas
• INDEPENDANCY of the fuel (hydrogen and SNG)
• Carbon taxes and CO2 allowances
 Power producers

• negative balancing energy and be able to generate

revenue on the balancing market
• avoid replacement investments in the shade plants

Automotive industry/Public transit

• reduce CO2-equivalent-emissions of the fleet and thus

Application comply with the legal requirements of the Parris

agreement
• ensure mobility with renewable energy sources

Private household

• PtG with a fuel cell to produce energy completely for their

own needs and therefore to install a self-contained
system to ensure self sufficiency and a “status symbol”
• Compare the current reference costs in the case of
flexible rates
 • Producer of an alternative gaseous energy carrier
(biogas, coal gas)
• modify the existing gas quality and thus to
allow for feeding into the natural gas grid
• Topographic impact of an electricity grid expansion
• by shifting the transport of energy to the gas

Application network or the alternative energy storage

engagement in landscape and/or to reduce in
the settlement areas (PH, Flow batteries and
CAS)
• increase the share of renewable energy
sources
• overall efficiency of the energy system
• reducing the shutdowns of generating plants