RENEWABLE NATURAL GAS FROM BIOGAS, AB ENERGY LAUNCHES BIOCH4NGE® IN NORTH AMERICA
13 October 2020
Pine Brook NJ – October 13, 2020: Bolstered by an ever growing demand for cleaner energy sources and CO2 reductions, Renewable Natural Gas (RNG) has become a hot topic for discussion and action across North America.
RNG, also known as biomethane, is a refined natural gas arising from biogas produced from the bacterial breakdown of organic waste materials through anaerobic digestion. The sources of organics are commonly food and food processing waste, farm animal and plant waste, select industrial wastewaters, and municipal sewage. Biogas is purified into RNG and injected into natural gas utility pipelines for distribution or used as a fuel to power vehicles.
According to The Coalition For Renewable Natural Gas (www.rngcoalition.com) there are over 130 operational RNG facilities throughout the US and Canada, with 37 more under construction this year and 73 undergoing substantial planning and development. This industry is experiencing massive growth fuelled by the development of technologies and processes designed to extract valuable energy and resources from “waste” products.
Enter AB Energy. The company is proud to announce the introduction of its revolutionary BIOCH4NGE® technology to the North American market. The BIOCH4NGE® system is the culmination of nearly four decades of advancements from the experience AB has acquired in the global cogeneration and biogas sectors. BIOCH4NGE® is compact, modular, easily scalable, versatile in application, and exceptional in its ability to upgrade and purify raw biogas into RNG at a low cost of operation.
At its core, BIOCH4NGE® employs advanced membrane technology to separate methane from the water, carbon dioxide, hydrogen sulfide, volatile organic compounds (VOCs), and other impurities found in biogas. Raw “wet” biogas flowing from anaerobic digesters enters the first stage of the BIOCH4NGE® process, where primary filtration followed by a chilled water exchanger condenses water vapor to dehumidify the biogas. This gas is compressed, cooled by a second heat exchanger, and delivered under strict temperature and pressure conditions to vessels containing activated carbon. The beds of activated carbon “strip” the gas of residual hydrogen sulfide and VOCs. In this final stage, the purified biogas is compressed and passed through AB’s proprietary membrane system to separate the carbon dioxide and methane components. The purified methane exiting the process is ready for beneficial re-use.
AB pre-assembles and tests each BIOCH4NGE® system in the company’s production facility as part of its rigorous quality control regimen. This step dramatically reduces onsite installation and commissioning efforts, saving clients substantial costs and avoidable start-up challenges.
“BIOCH4NGE® is the crowning achievement of our RNG production sector,” exclaims AB President Angelo Baronchelli. “This technology represents the best of our engineering and industrial and operational expertise, delivering a highly efficient and reliable solution to recover methane from biogas. It’s an ideal alternative process for clients already operating an RNG facility and a strong contender for those who are considering entering the market.”
For more information and to get the full story on how BIOCH4NGE® can improve operational performance while saving you money for your existing or planned RNG facility, please contact: Mark Ahrendt – Key Account Manager North America mark.ahrendt@gruppoab.com or rng.na.sales@gruppoab.com
