Uniper's Methanation Plant Starts Up

German utility Uniper has begun to feed synthetic gas into the German gas grid, it said March 26. The plant at Falkenhagen, Brandenburg, was expanded by a methanation stage last May. Previously it generated hydrogen through electrolysis, for injection.

Today, the plant produces up to 1,400 m³/day of syngas, or about 14.5 GWh. The methanation is designed for continuous operation and constantly achieves a very high quality of feed.

Green methane is the conversion of regeneratively produced hydrogen into methane through combination with CO₂ in a bioethanol plant. The heat generated is used by a neighbouring timber processing plant.

Wind and solar energy are subject to strong natural fluctuations in their availability so rather than shut them down at times of oversupply, the power can be diverted into plants of this kind to produce green methane. That can be used as fuel for power plants, space heating or feedstock for the chemicals industry.

At the same time, the unrestricted use of existing natural gas infrastructure opens up new opportunities for the transport and storage of energy generated from renewable sources. The stored energy is always available as needed, even when the sun and wind are not available to the required extent.

Uniper COO Eckhardt Rummler said power-to-gas contributes to reducing CO2 emissions, by using CO₂ as a raw material for methane extraction, and if the technologies are to reach their full potential, a gradual conversion of the natural gas network to green gas is required. However that needs regulatory support: the electricity used must be exempted from consumer charges and the CO2 savings in the transport and heat sectors need to be taken into account.

Partner Thyssenkrupp said "science and industry have shown that the storage of renewable energy is possible on a large scale through power-to-gas. Now it is a question of creating the appropriate framework conditions for comprehensive system solutions together with politicians and answering infrastructural questions. Further development of the technology creates industrial policy opportunities and can secure long-term competitive advantages in Germany and Europe.“