Existing SNG plants in Europe and worldwide
Large-scale methanation of coal is a mature technology and has been investigated for approximately 70 years particularly in Germany and in the US [1]. A large commercial plant for the gasification of lignite - the Great Plains Synfuels Plant, Dakota Gas Company - is operating in the USA since 1984 [2] with syngas cleaning and methanation technology provided by project partner Lurgi (ALFE). Feasibility studies for new plants have been conducted worldwide in the USA, China [3] and Pakistan [1]. Large-scale SNG plants are under construction in China [4] and Republic Korea [5]. European SNG projects (agnion SNG, Milena, BioSNG [6] and GoBiGas [7]) focused on the allothermal steam gasification of biomass [8-10], [11-15], [14-18] so far. However, up to date, there is no industrial application for a complete integrated technological chain for the production of SNG from coal in Europe.
[1] Friedrichs G., Methanisierung von Kohlevergasungsgasen im Wirbelbett Pilot-Entwicklungsstufe; Bundesministerium für Forschung und Technologie; Forschungsbericht T 85-106; 1985
[2] www.dakotagas.com, 1.6.2008
[3] Kopyscinski J., Schildhauer J.T., Biollaz M.A. S., Production of synthetic natural gas (SNG) from coal and dry biomass – A technology review from 1950 to 2009, Fuel 2010 (in press)
[4] Metz, T., Siemens Kohlevergasungstechnolgie- Syngas für Second Generation Fuels, Methanation Workshop, 2012
[5] From Coal to clean energy, Available at: http://www.topsoe.com/business_areas/gasification_based/Processes/~/media/PDF%20files/Gasification/topsoe_from_coal_to%20cl ean%20energy_nitrogen_syngas_march_april_2011.ashx (01.09.2012)
[6] Bio SNG Project: http://www.biosng.com/ [accessed 01.09.2012]
[7] http://www.goteborgenergi.se/English/Projects/GoBiGas__Gothenburg_Biomass_Gasification_Project [accessed 01.09.2012]
[8] European Commission, Project CO2free-SNG: Substitute Natural Gas from Coal with internal sequestration of CO2, (2009-2012) - Available at: <http://www.co2freesng.eu> [accessed 22.04.2012]
[9] European Commission, Project BioHPR – ENK5-CT-2000-00311 – Biomass Heatpipe Reformer (Completed 1/2004) Available at:<http://www.es.mw.tum.de/index.php?option= com_content&task=view&id=151&Itemid=25&lang=en> [22.04.2012]
[10] European Commission, Project BioCellus – SES6-502759 Biocellus – Biomass Fuel Cell Utility (Completed10/2007) - available at: <http://www.es.mw.tum.de/index.php?option= com_content&task=view&id=36&Itemid=25> [22.04.2012]
[11] European Commission, Project BioSNG – TREN/05/FP6EN/SO7.56632/019895 - Available at: <http://www.biosng.com> [22.04.2012]
[12] Kopyscinski J., Schildhauer J.T., Biollaz M.A. S., Production of synthetic natural gas (SNG) from coal and dry biomass – A technology review from 1950 to 2009, Fuel 2010 (in press)
[13] Friedrichs, G.: Methanisierung von Kohlevergasungsgasen im Wirbelbett Pilot-Entwicklungsstufe; Bundesministerium für Forschung und Technologie; Forschungsbericht T 85-106; 1985
[14] Biollaz S. and Stucki S., Synthetic natural gas/biogas (bio-SNG) from wood as transportation fuel – a comparison with FT liquids, Proc. 2nd World Conference on Biomass, 10-14 May 2004, Rome, Italy, pp. 1914-1915 (2004)
[15] A. van der Drift, C.M. van den Meijden, H. Boerrigter, MILENA gasification technology for high efficient SNG production from biomass, Published at 14th Biomass European Conference & Exhibition, Paris, France 17-21 October 2005
[16] European Commission, GAYA project, June 2010. Available at: http://www.ecn.nl/fileadmin/ecn/units/bio/Biomassa/Syngas_and_SNG/Gasification_2010/GAYA_project__A_unique_demonstration _platform_in_Europe.pdf [22.04.2012]
[17] Göteborg Energi, Sweden, Gothenburg Biomass Gasification Project, GoBiGas,2009.Available at: http://www.goteborgenergi.se/English/Projects/GoBiGas_Gothenburg_Biomass_Gasification_Project [accessed 22.04.2012]
[18] C.M. van der Meijden, L.P.L.M. Rabou, A. Van der Drift, B.J. Vreugdenhil & R. Smit , Large Scale Production of Bio-Methane from wood, Presented at the International Gas Union Research Conference IGRC, Seoul, South Korea (Conference 2011)