FAQs for biogas upgrading with Evonik membranes

What are the investment and operational costs for a membrane installation?

The investment costs as well as the operational costs depend on plant size, amount of crude biogas, desired purity of methane etc. and need to be calculated for each project individually. Our OEM partners are prepared to provide you with a full quotation based on your project requirements. Please contact us in case you need assistance to find a suitable OEM for your project.

What is the footprint of such an installation?

In general membrane installations have a comparative small footprint. A typical 100Nm³/h biogas upgrading plant usually fits into a 40’’ container. Large membrane systems may consist of multiple skids and subsystems, such as a compressor package etc. Since every system is custom designed, the footprint can be adopted to fit the customer's requirements.

Is there a reference?

Since January 2011 Evonik operates a pilot plant in a 30’’container in Neukirchen/Austria for demonstration purposes. 10 Nm³/h of crude biogas are being upgraded here 24/7.

Which OEM provides the technology?

We work with leading OEM partners in the field of biogas or gas technology. We qualify them to work with our membrane technology and membrane modules. Please contact us in case you need assistance to find a suitable OEM for your project.

Is there exclusivity in collaboration with OEM’s?

We do not offer exclusivity in our collaboration with OEM partners, but we work with a limited number of especially qualified OEM partners only.

For which biogas plant size is the technology suited most? Is there an ideal size for a membrane unit?

Biogas upgrading with membrane technology is suitable for all standard biogas plant sizes. The technology is especially competitive for small and mid sized biogas plants, up to 500Nm³/h biogas feed.

What are the costs of a membrane module?

The costs for membrane modules vary and depend on module size, module design, and separation capacity of the module. Prices for our membrane modules are provided by our OEM partners.

What is the membrane lifetime?

With proper operation and maintenance according to our recommendations, we expect our membrane modules to have a lifetime of at least three years in a standard biogas application. Our OEM partners are prepared to provide you with a service contract taking care that the membranes are continuously working according expectation.

How does the technology react at shut down?

Membrane technology is a very flexible system. A typical sized biomethane unit e.g. 500Nm³/h may be completely shut down and switched on again to full capacity within less than half an hour.

How does the technology react at feed composition and feed flow variations?

Membrane technology is very flexible. Any typical changes in feed composition and feed flow can easily be controlled by the pressure regime in the installation.