HUTIRA realizes that the near future belongs to biomethane

The fuel of the future, fuel from bio-waste – that’s what biomethane is called.

The composition of biomethane corresponds to the generally known natural gas and can be used as an alternative or in a common mixture. What is different, however, is that biomethane is a renewable energy source.

Biomethane is obtained by treating biogas, which is produced mainly in biogas plants or wastewater treatment plants by converting organic substances without air. Examples of organic substances which can be used are kitchen residues, garden waste or animal waste. This means readily available raw materials that people often dispose of as excess garbage.

Produced biogas contains about 50% methane, the rest is carbon dioxide and other components. In order to be converted into biomethane, it is necessary to purify the biogas and separate unwanted impurities from it, including the mentioned carbon dioxide. This technological process is provided by biogas membrane treatment plants for biomethane, supplied by HUTIRA green gas. They convert biogas from wastewater treatment plants or biogas plants into almost pure, up to 99% methane.

The application of biomethane is wide. It is most often used for injection into the gas network with the same use as natural gas. Injection of biomethane into gas pipelines and filling of bottles and tanks is possible thanks to the HUTIRA injection station. In addition to the injection technology itself, the station also has equipment for evaluating the quality of biomethane and custody transfer volume measurement.

Great potential for the use of biomethane is expected in the transport sector. In 2030, biomethane is to replace up to 40% of the natural gas used in EU countries in the transport sector. The advantage is that existing CNG (compressed natural gas) and LNG (liquefied natural gas) vehicles can also use biomethane without any modifications.

At present, however, the Czech Republic still lags in biomethane production behind other European countries, such as Germany and France. But that should change soon. According to the National Energy and Climate Plan of the Czech Republic, the government wants to financially support the production of biomethane and the creation of new biomethane stations, including their connection to the gas system.

In short, biomethane is the fuel of the future thanks to its ability to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and dependence on fossil fuels.