Truly Carbon Neutral electricity enhanced Synthesis of Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) from biomass

CarbonNeutralLNG targets the truly carbon neutral use of biogenic carbon to replace fossil fuels for the transportation sector with renewable electricity enhanced bioLNG. Non-electric transport will depend on liquid and gaseous energy carriers like Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG).

BioLNG is particularly advantageous as high density liquid fuel for the heavy duty truck and the marine transportation sector.

A proposed hybrid catalytic process combines chemical catalytic and biological methanation with electro methanogenesis in order to reduce process complexity and maximise carbon efficiency. Low-cost renewable electricity will be the main driver for reduced marginal costs for the bioLNG’s production.

The experimental work addresses the hybrid catalytic process chain’s main units and focuses on the development and testing of a “Sorption enhanced e-gasifier” (WP1), and additively manufactured “Chemical Catalytic Raw Methanation” reactor (WP2) and the “Biological Methane conditioning” (WP3) by means of biological methanation and electro-methanogensis.

Work packages 4 and 5 will include an “Impact assessment at environmental and socio-economic level” (WP4) and a “Roadmap to replication: market and policy assessment” (WP5).

They will mainly address monitoring and avoidance of fugitive methane emissions facing the upcoming Regulation (EU) on “Methane emissions reduction in the energy sector” and will in particular prepare technical and legal recommendations to avoid methane emissions in LNG infrastructures.

Artificial Intelligence (AI) based “Advanced Process Control and Scale-up considerations” (WP6) and the operation of the complete process chain will finally provide a proof-of-concept for the proposed process at TRL 3-4.The work package „Coordination and Dissemination” (WP7) establishes a “Technology transfer and Dissemination Multiplier Board” with stakeholders and policy makers and will include several workshops, conferences and social media communication.