Duch Bio-LNG Maritime Production Project Receives EU Funding

A Dutch consortium calling itself the FirstBio2Shipping project announced that it has received funding from the EU to begin construction on a dedicated marine bio-LNG production plant. They expect to produce around 2,400 tons per year of bio-LNG for use in the maritime industry and they expect that it will create more opportunities for local biogas upgrading plants that can produce high-quality sustainably sourced fuel for the maritime industry.

The project, which is a partnership between LNG supplier Titan, energy from waste company Attero, and green energy company Nordsol, reports that it has developed technologies to resolve various challenges in the production of small-scale LNG, including producing high-quality bio-LNG (not containing contaminants), zero methane slip, and no high-temperature demands in gas treatment technologies, resulting in a lower total cost of ownership.

Attero will produce 6 million Nm3 of biogas per year from the digestion of domestic biowaste at its facility in Wilp, the Netherlands. The companies note that there is an abundant supply of organic waste flows, particularly domestic and agricultural waste that will form the basis of their operation. The biogas once produced by Attero will be upgraded and liquefied into bio-LNG by Nordsol’s iLNG technology.

“Producing bio-LNG out of biogas is a next step in biowaste digestion, leading to higher-end products,” says Jan-Willem Steyvers, business developer at Attero. “By producing bio-LNG locally, traceability and transparency is ensured,” he notes while also supplying a sustainable source to replace heavy fuels.  They believe it also provides a model for further biogas plants.

Attero and Nordsol expect they will yield a total of 2,400 tons per year high-purity bio-LNG and 5,000 tons per year liquid bioCO2. They have an exclusive long-term off-take contract with Titan, which will supply the bio-LNG to the maritime industry.

 

Small-scale plant will act as model for more opportunities for local biogas upgrading plants (Titan)

 

“This project builds upon Titan’s previous successful funding application called ‘Bio2Bunker’ that will realize three additional bio-LNG bunker barges,” said Ronald van Selm, CTO of Titan. “Mature transport, storage, and bunkering infrastructure are not the only benefits of bio-LNG, it is also increasingly recognized as a sustainable option that can be ‘dropped in’ and blended with LNG at any ratio, with no changes required onboard the vessels.”

The project was awarded $4.85 million in funding from the EU as part of the Fit for 55 package introduced by the EU in July 2021 to support innovative decarbonization projects. The FirstBio2Shipping project is one of the first to receive funding under the program and was recognized as a practical solution that will supply a sustainable product into the existing LNG fueling infrastructure.