Air Liquide, a French multinational gas supplier, has commissioned 12 biogas purification units in the last 12 months in Europe, in France, in the United Kingdom, in Hungary and in Denmark. Five of these units, representing a total investment of EUR 12 million (USD 13.55m), are operated by Air Liquide. They generate long-term contracts for the production of biomethane for Europe’s natural gas grids, which supply notably the transportation fleets that run on bio-NGV (Natural Gas for Vehicles).
With these new units, Air Liquide triples its biogas purification capacity on the European continent. Overall, Air Liquide has designed and deployed worldwide 50 biogas purification units in order to transform biogas into biomethane and inject it into the natural gas networks.
Air Liquide has developed technologies and expertise that span the entire biomethane value chain: purification of biogas into biomethane, injection into the natural gas network, liquefaction, distribution for clean transportation fleets.
The purification and biogas valorization is a very promising example of a circular economy, which helps reduce greenhouse gas emissions and which could contribute to solutions for the zero emission transportation of tomorrow.
François Darchis, Senior-Vice President, member of the Air Liquide group’s Executive Committee supervising Innovation, commented: “These new biomethane production contracts illustrate the ability of Air Liquide to leverage its technologies to incubate new businesses. By positioning on the entire chain from biogas purification to distribution with bio-NGV stations, Air Liquide is contributing to meeting energy and environmental challenges.”
In the European Biogas Association (EBA)’s fifth edition of its statistical report, published December 2015, it states: “A steady increase can be appreciated in the biomethane sector, with 87 new biogas upgrading units commissioned.”
(Source: Air Liquide S.A.)
