Italian energy firms ink biogas deal

Engineering company HYSYTECH will supply European electric utility firm Edison Spa with two integrated biogas upgrading and biomethane liquefaction plants following an agreement signed between the companies.

Announced June 7, the deal will see Hysytech taking lead of all construction-related aspects of the plants, including biogas pre-treatment, upgrading, polishing, liquefaction, storage of bio-liquefied natural gas (LNG), transfer system and road tanker loading.

The company will also handle the entire metering system for the measuring of the energy produced and the ‘relevant incentives’ pursuant to Italian procedures, in addition to working with Dutch company Stirling Cryogenics to take care of process equipment, and automation and control system.

Biogas could be set to play a key role in advancing the energy transition and diversifying energy supply.

According to Charlotte Morton, chief executive of the World Biogas Association (WBA), anaerobic digestion (AD) – the process that produces biogas – can produce enough biomethane today to displace 32 percent of natural gas consumption or 28 percent of coal consumption.

Although hydrogen is seen as the fuel of the future, biomethane could act as a sustainable steppingstone by giving industry the time to scale-up hydrogen infrastructure.

By using biomethane as a renewable source of methane, the gas could also produce a more sustainable form of hydrogen called bio-hydrogen.

The biomethane produced as part of the Edison-Hysytech agreement will be liquefied to create bio-LNG, which will be used as a biofuel for transport.

Commenting on the deal, Massimiliano Antonini, managing director, Hysytech, said: “For Hysytech, the entrustment by Edison group of such a significant order is the conclusion of a very thorough and articulated internal development process, which helps us to look to the future with great confidence.”

He added that the project builds upon the company’s intention to help achieve decarbonisation objectives laid out by the Italian Piano Nazionale Integrato Energia e Clima (PNIEC), which is its national integrated energy and climate plan.

For more information visit www.hysytech.com