In Germany, researchers from Fraunhofer Institute for Microengineering and Microsystems IMM found a way to convert waste methane from biogas plants into additional methane, thus drastically increasing the methane yield from biogas plants. The process is up and running and the research team is currently scaling up the demonstration plant.
Biogas plants break down biomass in the absence of oxygen to form biogas which, on average, comprises up to 60 percent methane and more than 40 percent CO2. While the biogas is used to generate electricity and heat in combined heat and power units or can be upgraded to natural gas quality and fed into the natural gas network, the CO2 has not been utilized to date. Researchers from Fraunhofer IMM are now working on technology to utilize the CO2 by converting it into methane using green hydrogen.
