Biogas upgrading

Project overview

In 2012 HRH The Prince of Wales officially opened the UK’s first commercial biomethane-to-grid plant at Poundbury, Dorset. Such was the confidence in the market following Poundbury that it inspired nothing short of a green gas revolution. The project in Poundbury was the first to use highly selective membrane technology and upgrades 650 m3/hr Poundbury to biomethane.

Rainborrow Farm

The anaerobic digester at Rainborrow farm is fed with a feedstock consisting of maize, grass, potato waste, whey, and small amounts of food waste (chocolate and muesli) from local Poundbury factories. At full capacity, a biogas production of approximately 850 Sm³ per hour can be achieved. Up to 650 Sm3 per hour of biogas is led to the DMT Carborex® MS biogas upgrading plant, which uses a multistage system of membranes to clean out CO2 and provide a biomethane stream.

The biomethane flow going into to SGN Network is circa 400 Sm3 per hour, enough gas for 4,000 houses in winter and 56,000 houses in summer.

Carbon footprint reduction

Biogas is a valuable by-product of agricultural waste. The biogas is produced when organic waste of the agricultural process is digested in an anaerobic digester. Biogas produced in an anaerobic digester contains approximately 60 to 70 percent methane. Methane is the primary constituent of natural gas as found in our national gas grid. The other 30 to 40 percent is carbon dioxide and is separated from the methane. Biogas upgrading systems can be a cost-effective source of renewable energy and reduces greenhouse gas emissions.

Project details

Year: 2012
Location: Rainborrow Farms, Poundbury
Product: Carborex®MS
Biogas Inlet: 650Nm³
Biogas Source: Agricultural Waste
Application: Gas to grid

Learn more about the project

The produced biogas (containing ±53% methane) is divided between a generator for the production of on-site electricity and biogas upgrading system. The upgraded biogas is injected into the national gas grid. Roughly 200 Sm3 per hour of biogas is used to fuel a 400 kW generator. Approximately fifty percent of the generated energy is used on-site (amongst others to drive the upgrading installation), the rest is exported.

At the NEF unit, the distinct gas odour is added to the biomethane and the gas quality is confirmed to match that of natural gas. The biomethane flow going into to SGN Network is circa 400 Sm3 per hour, enough gas for 4,000 houses in winter and 56,000 houses in summer.

• Reduction of Greenhouse Gasses
• Renewable Energy Production on site
• Contributing to a circular economy