Development of a biological process to reduce methane slip from gas processing plants by the usage of methanotrophic microorganisms

The overall objective of the project
The aim of the research project is to develop an alternative method for reducing the methane slip from gas processing plants for bio-methane production. By applying several common methods for processing biogas to natural gas quality, the problem arises that an increased methane slip of about 2% occurs in the exhaust gas. According to the statutory provisions of the law on renewable energies the methane slip is limited to a maximum value of 0.5%. To reach this limit a technically complicated and costly after-treatment of the exhaust gas in the form of a thermal or catalytic after-burning is currently required. Within the framework of the planned project a more economical alternative based on a biological demethanization of the exhaust gas shall be developed with the aid of methanotrophic bacteria.

At first, the demethanization of the exhaust gases will be demonstrated on a laboratory scale and optimized with different methanotrophic strains. In parallel, studies on the extraction and removal of the metabolic intermediate formic acid are performed. Thus, formic acid could be re-used for biogas production after returning to the biogas plant, since it is a specific substrate of some methanogenic bacteria. In parallel, the development of a pilot plant scale reactor is planned, which will allow   recovery of formic acid in an industrial scale considering current technical and economic aspects.

Planned utilization of results
Based on the obtained results a feasibility study will be carried out taking in consideration precedural and economic aspects.  After a successful implementation of the project, cooperations of the applicants with specialized manufacturers will be initiated to transfer the elaborated technology into practical application.

The Prüf- und Forschungsinstitut (Testing and Research Institute; PFI) in Pirmasens and the Institut für Mikrobiologie und Weinforschung (Institute of Microbiologie and Wine Research, IMW) at the Johannes Gutenberg-University in Mainz will act as consultants and offer scientific steering. The PFI is already in close contact with engineers in the field of biogas including biogas plants and fermentation technology. These experts will be considered at the consultative framework of this project to facilitate a subsequent development.

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