SIAD MI to build biomethane liquefaction plant in Germany

By Roberta Prandi30 May 2023

Small-scale plant will produce 140 tons of Bio-LNG per day from bio methane injected in the grid at source. Distributed to filling stations, it will be enough to supply 350 trucks.

SIAD Macchine Impianti (SIAD MI) was recently selected for the turnkey construction of a small-scale liquefied natural gas (SSLNG) plant for the production of bio-LNG to be built near Röthenbach an der Pegnitz in the Bavarian region of Germany.

The order involves the supply of a SMART TB-LNG 140 modular liquefaction plant designed and custom-built to the customer's requirements and includes an amine-based natural gas treatment unit made by Tecno Project Industriale, a member of the SIAD group of companies. The same supply will also include the installation of two oil-free reciprocating compressors, one for natural gas and one for boil-off gas (BOG), also designed and manufactured by SIAD MI, and part of SIAD MI's range of products for the LNG supply chain.

The client is bioplus LNG, a German company founded by Vier Gas Transport GmbH (VGT) with the aim of becoming a key player in the liquefied biomethane value chain in Germany. In this context, bio methane is injected in the grid at source and subsequently it is withdrawn and liquefied for distribution to filling stations, where it is marketed as a heavy-duty transport fuel.

"This project fits perfectly with our strategic ambitions," said Christine Wilinski, managing director of VGT, "as it allows us to help shape the path towards an environmentally friendly energy industry and mobility sector by promoting the use of green gases. With SIAD, we have chosen a strong and experienced partner who was able to convince us with their own solution in gas treatment and cryogenic technology."

The fully operational SSLNG plant will produce 140 tons of Bio-LNG per day, enough to supply 350 trucks. This will prevent the emission of around 400 000 tons of CO2 per year into the atmosphere, more than the savings achieved by the entire German electric car fleet in 2020. It will also be possible to cut nitrogen oxide (NOx) emissions by 70% and fine dust emissions by up to 95%.

"We are proud to have been selected by bioplus LNG as the ideal partner for this project in which we strongly believe and which is an important reference for us. Our Small Scale LNGs are the result of our extensive experience in gas liquefaction accumulated over almost a hundred years and are reliable and competitive thanks to the cryogenic technology behind them," said Claudio Sangaletti, director of the Air Separation and LNG Units Division at SIAD MI.

SIAD MI will also handle the installation of the plant for the planned commissioning in October 2024.

Paolo Ferrario, managing director of SIAD MI, concluded: "In the rapidly expanding LNG and bio-LNG sector, the fruitful and synergetic collaboration between European companies such as, in this case, SIAD MI and bioplus LNG, is a fundamental element for the construction of a European supply chain that advances the achievement of the climate targets set by the European Union. The SSLNG plant at Röthenbach will make an important contribution to the decarbonization of the transport sector in Germany and set an example for the whole of Europe."