SEPURAN® Green, biogas separation membrane by Daicel-Evonik Ltd. (Head Office: Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo; President: Andre Noppe) was adopted and introduced as “the Model Project of Construction of Biogas System for Regional Recycling,” in a biogas plant operating at Nanaecho, Hokkaido, together with the methane gas upgrading unit “METACOMPRE®” manufactured by Hypotech Inc. (Headquarters: Chuo-ku, Tokyo, Representative Director: Hideaki Satake). In this project, a demonstration experiment is being conducted to separate and upgrade biogas into methane gas with 99% or higher purity, and store it in a low pressure storage tank. 

The main components of the biogas removed from the fermentation tank are 60% methane and 40% carbon dioxide. SEPURAN Green in the upgrading unit separates the methane from the biogas, achieving methane yield in excess of 99%. The demonstration experiment aims to store methane gas after purification in 60 times the current amount. 

Unlike the case in urban areas, in areas where infrastructure of city gas piping network is not well developed, this project will enable local production and consumption of energy by using biogas. We aim to realize an earth-friendly business that does not require petroleum-derived energy. The price of biogas is 39 yen/kwh in the country’s Feed-in tariff system, which is higher than the prices of other renewable energy sources; thus, in many cases it is mainly produced at the power station. However, if biogas is upgraded as methane, it becomes possible to store in stable quantities and to use it more efficiently as a heat source or power generation as necessary.  

To earn even higher trust from customers, Daicel-Evonik will keep pursuing detailed technical support.