LONDON – Gasrec, the UK's first commercial producer of liquid biomethane fuel, along with BOC, a member of the global gases and engineering Linde Group. and SITA UK, a recycling and waste management company, have announced the successful production of liquid biomethane (LBM) fuel from the Gasrec plant at SITA UK's Albury landfill site in Surrey.

Gasrec has been working closely with BOC and SITA UK to develop an LBM production facility at Albury that can recover over 85% of the methane contained in the raw gas produced from the landfill site.

The Gasrec process cleans the landfill gas of all impurities before one constituent gas, methane, is separated and liquefied to create LBM, a valuable vehicle fuel. The liquefaction technology for landfill applications is provided under an exclusive UK agreement with BOC's parent, The Linde Group of Germany. BOC provides plant operation and maintenance services, along with risk management and engineering expertise.

LBM not only offers a renewable alternative to fossil fuels, which generate harmful ‘greenhouse gases,’ but also burns more cleanly and quietly than diesel, with a 90% reduction in PM10 particulate, a 60% reduction in nitrous oxide, a 50% reduction in sulphur dioxide, and a 30% reduction in noise.

The use of LBM as a fuel substitute for fossil diesel or petrol results in carbon dioxide (CO₂) savings in the region of 70%, throughout the chain, from extraction of the fossil fuel from the ground to its use in a vehicle. All vehicles that can operate on compressed natural gas (CNG) or liquefied natural gas (LNG) can run on LBM. However, LBM offers a reduction in CO₂ emissions which is twice that of natural gas (source: JEC2006 and CONCAWE studies).

The initial target for the use of LBM is commercial vehicles operating in the haulage and waste management sectors. Used widely, this fuel could make a valuable contribution towards the UK's short-term CO₂ reduction targets, and lead to an overall improvement in air quality.

Gasrec has signed an agreement with the Hardstaff Group, one of the largest LNG bulk transporters in the UK, to manage transport logistics and fuel transportation from Albury. The haulage trucks use Hardstaff's dual-fuel system, running entirely on LBM.

Sustainable and secure

Chief executive of Gasrec, Richard Lilleystone, commented: "We are delighted to announce the production of the first batch of fuel from our facility on SITA UK's Albury landfill site. Our technology not only captures a highly valuable source of clean fuel for vehicles, but also provides the means for landfill and waste managers to fully optimise their gas assets.”

He continued: “We look forward to working with all sectors of industry, along with local authorities and government, to assist in the introduction of low carbon fuels derived from a truly sustainable and secure source. Today's announcement puts Gasrec at the forefront of the biogas industry, and we look forward to continuing to work with SITA UK and BOC to improve the environment."

New markets business development manager at SITA UK, Stuart Hayward-Higham, commented: "We have produced electricity from landfill gas for many years, but we believe there is a big future for generating fuel from waste. We have another waste-to-fuel project in Hong Kong, and have been keen to see this type of technology take-off in the UK. We are keen to expand our relationship with Gasrec to cover other types of waste recovery facilities."

Head of LNG and biogas business development for Linde, Steven Eckhardt, said: "BOC is proud to be part of this first of a kind effort in Europe, which is a key focus area for The Linde Group in its efforts to develop sustainable gaseous fuels and fuelling systems. Linde is a market leader in the supply of biogas as a vehicle fuel in Scandinavia, and is working to develop other similar markets across the globe."

More at www.gasrec.co.uk