Air Liquide – Gas Upgrading System

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Air Liquide – Gas Upgrading System

Biogas: From waste to renewable gases

About the Company:

Air Liquide employs more than 20,000 people in the U.S. in over 1,300 locations. The company offers industrial and medical gases, technologies and related services to customers in energy, industrial, electronics and healthcare markets.

With over 50 biogas sites worldwide and more than 100 years of experience in gas separation, Air Liquide is the world leader in biogas purification, with a capacity of 160,000 m3/h. Since 2006, Air Liquide has upgraded 20 landfill biogas for grid injection in the U.S., with up to 20,000 Nm3/h of raw biogas.

About the Solution:

Air Liquide’s purification modules are able to separate methane and carbon dioxide using an innovative process involving patented polymeric membranes manufactured by Air Liquide Advanced Separations (ALaS). This efficient system generates high quality biomethane with methane content between 95% and 99%.

Air Liquide 9811 Katy Freeway, Suite 100 Houston, TX USA 1-800-819-1704 Visit Company Website

Solution Type

  • AD Support

Vendor

  • Equipment Vendor

Product

  • Energy

Problem

  • GHG
  • Odor
  • Pathogens

To view additional information about this vendor, click below.

Solution Strengths, Weaknesses and Critical Indicators

Anaerobic Digester Associated Technology:

NOTE: There are several technology types that are used as part of an integrated manure management system that includes an anaerobic digester and are not applicable to manure management in other cases. The impact of these technologies on the critical indicators are represented as those of an entire anaerobic digester system.

   

  • Long usable life and can be run reliably
  • Creates energy and generates environmental credits
  • Requires proper preparation of the feedstock
  • Requires other technologies for energy utilization
  • Requires other technologies for digestate handling
  • Proper feeding & system monitoring is required to avoid system downtime
  • Proven technology for odor control, GHG reduction and pathogen reduction

Newtrient Comments/Opinions:

Biogas upgrading technology:

  • Produces renewable natural gas (RNG) by removing carbon dioxide, hydrogen sulfide, nitrogen, oxygen and water vapor from biogas
  • Includes technologies such as membrane separation, pressure swing absorption and water scrubbing
  • Used to treat biogas from an anaerobic digester
  • Most systems are technically complex
  • Interconnection to the national gas infrastructure typically requires large systems and proximity to large volume gas lines
On February 14, 2019 Southern California Gas Co. (SoCalGas) and biogas producer Calgren Dairy Fuels (Calgren) announced that renewable natural gas produced at Calgren's dairy digester facility in Pixley, California was being injected into SoCalGas pipelines. The project marks the first time that carbon-negative renewable natural gas produced from cow manure has been injected directly into SoCalGas' natural gas system.    

The Air Liquide system which is a membrane based gas upgrading system has multiple other systems that will be coming on line in California and across the country. Newtrient will continue to update the 9-point score as more systems are installed on dairy operations.  

Newtrient 9-Point Scoring Rating

View the Scoring Page

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