27 October 2016
FROM BIOGAS TO RNG: OVERVIEW OF
BIOGAS UPGRADING TECHNOLOGIES &
UTILITY INTERCONNECTION
SCOTT OLSON
DIRECTOR, STRATEGIC PLANNING
RENEWABLES AND ENERGY EFFICIENCY
RECENT B&V WORK FOR SCG
• Economic evaluations of biogas
conditioning and upgrading
technologies
• Key questions to address:
• Which technologies are best suited
to upgrade biogas at scale?
• At a conceptual level, how would
these projects be designed?
Interested in more?
• Biocycle Magazine, August 2016
• Public Document from SCG
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TECHNOLOGY SUPPLIERS REVIEWED
CO2 Separation – PSA
Carbotech
Guild/Molecular Gate
Xebec
Siloxane Removal
Clean Methane Systems
ESC Energy Systems
Unison Solutions
Venture Engineering
Pioneer Air Systems
CO2 Separation – Membrane
Air Liquide (MEDAL)
Air Products (PRISM)
Generon IGS
MTR
H2S Removal
Clean Methane Systems
Unison Solutions
Paques (THIOPAQ)
Biorem Technologies
CO2 Separation – Amine/Water
Purac Puregas (Amine)
Greenlane Biogas (Water Wash)
N2/O2 Removal
Guild/Molecular Gate
Newpoint Gas (X-O2)
Sep-Pro Systems
• Not an exhaustive list
• Several OEMs offer “full solution”
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ECONOMIC CONCLUSIONS – BASE CASES
CASE
BIOGAS
FLOW
RATE
(SCFM)
CAPITAL COST
($000)
OPERATING
COST
($000/YR)
LEVELIZED
$/MMBTU
7 to 9
A
Landfill Gas
3,000
20,000 to 25,000
1,000 to 1,500
C
Digester Gas
400
5,000 to 8,000
300 to 500
B
Digester Gas
1,050
7,000 to 10,000
400 to 700
8 to 10
14 to 15
• Gas cleaning ONLY. Does not include costs for AD or other equipment.
• All-in costs, including owner’s cost allocation, interconnection
incentives, and California specific labor factors
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DESIGN AND ECONOMIC CONCLUSIONS
• Consensus of biogas upgrading suppliers: commercial systems
are technologically capable of meeting requirements of SCG
Rule 30 and AB 1900
• Economies of scale hamper smaller scale projects
• Cost curve inflection at ~1 MMSCFD
• Incentives of $3/MMBtu to $5/MMBtu are needed to reduce
the cost of biomethane to a value similar to natural gas prices
• Transportation fuel incentives
are currently the most lucrative
(California LCFS and EPA RINs)
5
POTENTIAL BARRIERS TO DEVELOPMENT
• Gas Monitoring Practices
• Interconnection Costs
• Unfavorable Economies of Scale
• Lack of Biogas-Specific R&D Drivers
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THANK YOU!
BLACK & VEATCH
353 SACRAMENTO ST., 19TH FLOOR
SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94111
SCOTT OLSON
913.458.9867
[email protected]
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