Gas-fired heat pumps on biogas plants

Heat integration of the processes on a typical biogas plants possesses a significant optimization potential. A typical biogas plant that upgrades its biogas to biomethane uses a significant amount of energy, whilst there at the same time exists large reservoirs of lower-temperature waste heat in cooling towers and downstream storage tanks. This project aims at increasing the feasibility and energy efficiency of biogas plants by integrating various, efficient, gas-driven heat pumps into biogas plants that will utilize the lower-temperature reservoir for biogas production, hygienization processes and upgrading plants. This integration has not been done before, and the project will complete the task by two primary means: 1) conduct a wide process engineering and economic analysis of the concept; and 2) commission and test a full-scale demonstration plant on an existing biogas plant. These two measures will provide the foundation for the commercial project partners from the biogas and heat pump industries to implement the technology efficiently and wide in the short term.