BioSNG Demonstration Plant, Six Monthly Report

This is the Six Monthly Report, delivered by National Grid Gas Distribution on its Gas NIC project: BioSNG Demonstration Plant.

The project commenced on 1st April 2014 as planned and is proceeding on schedule.

"The BioSNG process will operate in conditions of lower absolute pressure, and higher partial pressures and at temperatures that are markedly outside the applications within the existing state-of-the-art.  It is also pertinent to understand that the production of pure methane is not the inevitable object; rather it is the production of fit-for-purpose, natural gas substitute, the specification of which tolerates a number of gaseous impurities.  Crucially, for commercial operation at the moderate scale implicit in waste and biomass projects, the project viability rests with undertaking methanation at moderate pressures and with minimum product re-circulation in order to minimise compression loads and system equipment count.  The partners therefore elected to develop their own methanation reactor concept, and this activity is a prime focus of the project."