IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/eee/appene/v401y2025ipas0306261925013315.html

Here comes the sun: intermittent operation of hydrogen-based in situ biomethanation at pilot-scale

Author

Listed:
  • Jensen, Therese Bundgaard
  • Anand, Monisha
  • Batstone, Damien
  • Kofoed, Michael Vedel Wegener

Abstract

Injection-based in situ biomethanation is a promising energy conversion technology that was here investigated in a pilot-scale biogas reactor for microbial conversion of exogenous hydrogen (H2) and endogenous carbon dioxide (CO2) to methane (CH4). The cost of renewable electrolysis-derived H2 is dependent on electricity cost and will thus be highly dependent on the availability and associated cost of renewable energy. Technologies like in situ biomethanation should therefore be able to utilize H2 intermittently in times of low cost. This was tested at pilot-scale by dynamic injection of H2 for 6–10 h and 20 h into a 31 m3 bioreactor, simulating solar and wind intermittency, respectively. By monitoring various process parameters of the in situ biomethanation system it was found that 97.53 % of the exogenous H2 was converted immediately after injection and correspondingly increased the CH4 production rate (MPR). In contrast to the rapid H2 uptake, H2 injection impacted the bicarbonate system in the digestate, which affected the product gas composition. Intermittent operation with standby periods without H2 injection allowed the system to stabilize and recover to baseline conditions without further mitigation steps needed, making it ideal to convert renewable dispatchable energy.

Suggested Citation

  • Jensen, Therese Bundgaard & Anand, Monisha & Batstone, Damien & Kofoed, Michael Vedel Wegener, 2025. "Here comes the sun: intermittent operation of hydrogen-based in situ biomethanation at pilot-scale," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 401(PA).
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:appene:v:401:y:2025:i:pa:s0306261925013315
    DOI: 10.1016/j.apenergy.2025.126601
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0306261925013315
    Download Restriction: Full text for ScienceDirect subscribers only
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1016/j.apenergy.2025.126601?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    As the access to this document is restricted, you may want to

    for a different version of it.

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Scarlat, Nicolae & Dallemand, Jean-François & Fahl, Fernando, 2018. "Biogas: Developments and perspectives in Europe," Renewable Energy, Elsevier, vol. 129(PA), pages 457-472.
    2. Ahern, Eoin P. & Deane, Paul & Persson, Tobias & Ó Gallachóir, Brian & Murphy, Jerry D., 2015. "A perspective on the potential role of renewable gas in a smart energy island system," Renewable Energy, Elsevier, vol. 78(C), pages 648-656.
    3. Jensen, M.B. & Ottosen, L.D.M. & Kofoed, M.V.W., 2021. "H2 gas-liquid mass transfer: A key element in biological Power-to-Gas methanation," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 147(C).
    4. Jensen, Mads Bjørnkjær & Kofoed, Michael Vedel Wegener & Fischer, Keelan & Voigt, Niels Vinther & Agneessens, Laura Mia & Batstone, Damien John & Ottosen, Lars Ditlev Mørck, 2018. "Venturi-type injection system as a potential H2 mass transfer technology for full-scale in situ biomethanation," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 222(C), pages 840-846.
    5. Ali Dabestani-Rahmatabad & Gabriel Capson-Tojo & Eric Trably & Jean-Philippe Delgenès & Renaud Escudié, 2024. "Assessing the Impact of Organic Loading Rate on Hydrogen Consumption Rates during In Situ Biomethanation," Energies, MDPI, vol. 17(11), pages 1-20, May.
    6. Sun, Qie & Li, Hailong & Yan, Jinying & Liu, Longcheng & Yu, Zhixin & Yu, Xinhai, 2015. "Selection of appropriate biogas upgrading technology-a review of biogas cleaning, upgrading and utilisation," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 51(C), pages 521-532.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Ruggero Bellini & Ilaria Bassani & Arianna Vizzarro & Annalisa Abdel Azim & Nicolò Santi Vasile & Candido Fabrizio Pirri & Francesca Verga & Barbara Menin, 2022. "Biological Aspects, Advancements and Techno-Economical Evaluation of Biological Methanation for the Recycling and Valorization of CO 2," Energies, MDPI, vol. 15(11), pages 1-34, June.
    2. Wu, Lan & Wei, Wei & Song, Lan & Woźniak-Karczewska, Marta & Chrzanowski, Łukasz & Ni, Bing-Jie, 2021. "Upgrading biogas produced in anaerobic digestion: Biological removal and bioconversion of CO2 in biogas," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 150(C).
    3. Barbera, Elena & Menegon, Silvia & Banzato, Donatella & D'Alpaos, Chiara & Bertucco, Alberto, 2019. "From biogas to biomethane: A process simulation-based techno-economic comparison of different upgrading technologies in the Italian context," Renewable Energy, Elsevier, vol. 135(C), pages 663-673.
    4. Díaz, Israel & Fdz-Polanco, Fernando & Mutsvene, Boldwin & Fdz-Polanco, María, 2020. "Effect of operating pressure on direct biomethane production from carbon dioxide and exogenous hydrogen in the anaerobic digestion of sewage sludge," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 280(C).
    5. Park, Jun-Gyu & Kwon, Hye-Jeong & Cheon, A-In & Jun, Hang-Bae, 2021. "Jet-nozzle based improvement of dissolved H2 concentration for efficient in-situ biogas upgrading in an up-flow anaerobic sludge blanket (UASB) reactor," Renewable Energy, Elsevier, vol. 168(C), pages 270-279.
    6. Ramírez-Arpide, Félix Rafael & Espinosa-Solares, Teodoro & Gallegos-Vázquez, Clemente & Santoyo-Cortés, Vinicio Horacio, 2019. "Bioenergy production from nopal cladodes and dairy cow manure on a farm-scale level: Challenges for its economic feasibility in Mexico," Renewable Energy, Elsevier, vol. 142(C), pages 383-392.
    7. Ramos-Suárez, J.L. & Ritter, A. & Mata González, J. & Camacho Pérez, A., 2019. "Biogas from animal manure: A sustainable energy opportunity in the Canary Islands," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 104(C), pages 137-150.
    8. O'Connor, S. & Ehimen, E. & Pillai, S.C. & Black, A. & Tormey, D. & Bartlett, J., 2021. "Biogas production from small-scale anaerobic digestion plants on European farms," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 139(C).
    9. Lombardi, Lidia & Francini, Giovanni, 2020. "Techno-economic and environmental assessment of the main biogas upgrading technologies," Renewable Energy, Elsevier, vol. 156(C), pages 440-458.
    10. Krzysztof Michalski & Magdalena Kośka-Wolny & Krzysztof Chmielowski & Dawid Bedla & Agnieszka Petryk & Paweł Guzdek & Katarzyna Anna Dąbek & Michał Gąsiorek & Klaudiusz Grübel & Wiktor Halecki, 2024. "Examining the Potential of Biogas: A Pathway from Post-Fermented Waste into Energy in a Wastewater Treatment Plant," Energies, MDPI, vol. 17(22), pages 1-18, November.
    11. Wantz, Eliot & Benizri, David & Dietrich, Nicolas & Hébrard, Gilles, 2022. "Rate-based modeling approach for High Pressure Water Scrubbing with unsteady gas flowrate and multicomponent absorption applied to biogas upgrading," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 312(C).
    12. Josipa Pavičić & Karolina Novak Mavar & Vladislav Brkić & Katarina Simon, 2022. "Biogas and Biomethane Production and Usage: Technology Development, Advantages and Challenges in Europe," Energies, MDPI, vol. 15(8), pages 1-28, April.
    13. Wu, Benteng & Lin, Richen & O'Shea, Richard & Deng, Chen & Rajendran, Karthik & Murphy, Jerry D., 2021. "Production of advanced fuels through integration of biological, thermo-chemical and power to gas technologies in a circular cascading bio-based system," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 135(C).
    14. Long, Aoife & Murphy, Jerry D., 2019. "Can green gas certificates allow for the accurate quantification of the energy supply and sustainability of biomethane from a range of sources for renewable heat and or transport?," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 115(C).
    15. Francesco Calise & Francesco Liberato Cappiello & Luca Cimmino & Massimo Dentice d’Accadia & Maria Vicidomini, 2021. "A Review of the State of the Art of Biomethane Production: Recent Advancements and Integration of Renewable Energies," Energies, MDPI, vol. 14(16), pages 1-43, August.
    16. D’ Silva, Tinku Casper & Isha, Adya & Chandra, Ram & Vijay, Virendra Kumar & Subbarao, Paruchuri Mohan V. & Kumar, Ritunesh & Chaudhary, Ved Prakash & Singh, Harjit & Khan, Abid Ali & Tyagi, Vinay Kum, 2021. "Enhancing methane production in anaerobic digestion through hydrogen assisted pathways – A state-of-the-art review," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 151(C).
    17. Qyyum, Muhammad Abdul & Haider, Junaid & Qadeer, Kinza & Valentina, Valentina & Khan, Amin & Yasin, Muhammad & Aslam, Muhammad & De Guido, Giorgia & Pellegrini, Laura A. & Lee, Moonyong, 2020. "Biogas to liquefied biomethane: Assessment of 3P's–Production, processing, and prospects," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 119(C).
    18. Vo, Truc T.Q. & Wall, David M. & Ring, Denis & Rajendran, Karthik & Murphy, Jerry D., 2018. "Techno-economic analysis of biogas upgrading via amine scrubber, carbon capture and ex-situ methanation," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 212(C), pages 1191-1202.
    19. Wantz, Eliot & Lemonnier, Mathis & Benizri, David & Dietrich, Nicolas & Hébrard, Gilles, 2023. "Innovative high-pressure water scrubber for biogas upgrading at farm-scale using vacuum for water regeneration," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 350(C).
    20. Mairi J. Black & Amitava Roy & Edson Twinomunuji & Francis Kemausuor & Richard Oduro & Matthew Leach & Jhuma Sadhukhan & Richard Murphy, 2021. "Bottled Biogas—An Opportunity for Clean Cooking in Ghana and Uganda," Energies, MDPI, vol. 14(13), pages 1-14, June.

    More about this item

    Keywords

    ;
    ;
    ;
    ;
    ;
    ;

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:eee:appene:v:401:y:2025:i:pa:s0306261925013315. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Catherine Liu (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.elsevier.com/wps/find/journaldescription.cws_home/405891/description#description .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.