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Waste recovery

Produce bio-energy from your waste
In a world where energy needs and sources are changing rapidly, the ability to transform organic resources into renewable and carbon-free energy is poised to become part of the new energy mix. Energy produced this way has the advantage of being easy to store, either in gaseous or liquid form, and easily available for sustainable heating and clean transportation. To this end, Air Liquide is actively working to develop biogas solutions.
  • Nearly
    50
    biogas sites worldwide

  • A biogas purification capacity of
    160,000 m3/h

  • More than
    100 years’ experience
    in gas separation

Are you looking for a partner to invest in your biogas upgrading project? Do you need a high-efficiency biogas purification and liquefaction unit? Do you want to sign a power purchase agreement? Air Liquide can support you throughout your project and has solutions that meet your needs.

Air Liquide is present across the whole biogas value chain

Biogas buy-back solutions

Air Liquide will buy your biogas and purify it, allowing it to be injected into the natural gas grid, or, if there is no grid, liquefy it to facilitate its transportation. The biomethane is, therefore, sold directly by Air Liquide, which saves you from doing all the administrative, commercial and regulatory formalities.

We guarantee a biogas buyback rate based on the quality produced. The technical and financial risks for you, related to the sale of biogas, are minimized.

Before being injected into the natural gas grid, biogas must undergo a complex upgrading process. First, all of its pollutants are removed (O2, H2O, H2S, etc.) as well as one of its main components: carbon dioxide (CO2). The biogas, thereby enriched in biomethane, meets the criteria for being added to the natural gas network.

In order to allow you to concentrate on your core business while developing your revenue, Air Liquide offers to acquire the purifier and/or liquefier, to pay for its construction and operation, as well as managing the sale the biomethane.

This offer ensures you maximize the return on your biomethane.

Air Liquide’s recognized expertise in industrial gases, combined with the experience we have acquired in biogas upgrading, are major strengths that ensure the success of your projects.

Biogas purifier

Air Liquide is developing an industrial system designed to purify the biogas that comes from sanitary landfills or anaerobic digesters. The objective is to produce enriched methane that can be commercialized in compliance with sustainable development/growth criteria.

Thanks to the development of several technological bricks, including the CO2 separation membranes, our solutions enable you to upgrade all types of biogas for injection into the natural gas grid, the production of vehicle fuel, liquid biomethane, and the production of renewable hydrogen. The modular systems designed and developed by Air Liquide are upgradeable biogas processing units with processing capacities that range from a hundred to several thousand m3 per hour (100 to 10,000 Nm3/h).

Biogas purification module : operating principles
Key benefits
  • Guaranteed quality for injection into the network
  • Methane recovery rate > up to 99.5%
  • High energy and environmental performances
  • Simple and reliable
  • Economical and highly efficient

From biogas to bio-LNG

The liquefaction of biomethane appears to offer an effective solution for the logistical constraints that arise in the absence of a transportation network. In its liquid form, biomethane is easily transportable to its point of use.

Air Liquide provides industrial liquefaction units whose tried and tested technology is suited to the needs of its clients. Liquefaction is a reliable and efficient process that facilitates the transportation of gas and increases the installation's profitability.

Biogas production site7 © Constant Formé-Bècherat

Since commissioning in September 2013, the Air Liquide gas upgrade system has performed well above our expectations and the assistance from Air Liquide during commissioning and early operation of the plant has been excellent. We are very pleased with it and are currently working with Air Liquide on further plants.

Philipp Lukas

Managing Director Future Biogas, Doncaster, United Kingdom

What is biogas ?

Biogas is a renewable energy produced during the anaerobic digestion of biomass (methanization)

Composed primarily of methane and carbon dioxide, biogas is efficiently turned into biomethane through the process of purification.

This phenomenon, called anaerobic digestion, occurs naturally in marshes, spontaneously in garbage dumps, and is artificially provoked in digesters during the treatment of household, industrial or farming waste, and purification sludge.

The biogas produced by the fermentation of this waste is a source of renewable energy, which, after purification, can replace natural gas from fossil sources.

Farmers, manufacturers, and local authorities can thereby process their waste while exploiting the energy it contains and its financial potential.