Techno-Economic Assessment of Biological Biogas Upgrading Based on Danish Biogas Plants

Néméhie Lawson, Merlin Alvarado-Morales, Panagiotis Tsapekos and Irini Angelidaki
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Néméhie Lawson: Department of Chemical and Biochemical Engineering, Technical University of Denmark, DK-2800 Kgs. Lyngby, Denmark
Merlin Alvarado-Morales: Department of Chemical and Biochemical Engineering, Technical University of Denmark, DK-2800 Kgs. Lyngby, Denmark
Panagiotis Tsapekos: Department of Chemical and Biochemical Engineering, Technical University of Denmark, DK-2800 Kgs. Lyngby, Denmark
Irini Angelidaki: Department of Chemical and Biochemical Engineering, Technical University of Denmark, DK-2800 Kgs. Lyngby, Denmark

Energies, 2021, vol. 14, issue 24, 1-18

Abstract: Biological biogas upgrading with H 2 derived from excess renewable electricity was modeled and simulated in PROII ® (AVEVA Group plc, Cambridge, UK). An economic analysis was performed for a biogas plant processing 100,000 tons of biomass (substrate) per year. The biogas and biomethane production simulation results were validated with laboratory experimental data, as well as full-scale data obtained from biogas plants. A biomethane production cost of 0.47 €/Nm 3 was calculated, while the minimum biomethane selling price for NPV = 0 was equal to 0.66 €/Nm 3 , considering a H 2 price of 1.0 €/kg. The feasibility analysis indicated that the H 2 -related costs were the major contributor to the capital and operation costs due to high expenses associated with the in-situ H 2 storage facility and the purchasing of H 2 , respectively. Compared to conventional upgrading methods, biological biogas upgrading has a higher capital and production cost, which can be reduced by increasing the plant capacity. The sensitivity analysis showed that the profitability is very sensitive to biomethane prices, capital investment, and the H 2 price.

Keywords: biomethanation; biogas upgrading; process simulation; economic analysis (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: Q Q0 Q4 Q40 Q41 Q42 Q43 Q47 Q48 Q49 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2021
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (7)

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