Research

This project undertook the co-development (i.e. with industry) of a generic framework for assessing the techno-economic viability of injecting bio-methane into existing gas networks in the Australian context and demonstrated its use for two case studies. The assessment framework focusses on the use of anaerobic digestion to generate biogas from organic feedstocks, and the subsequent upgrading of biogas to biomethane before compression and injection into a gas network.

The outcomes of this project are:

1.    Reports detailing assessments of the techno-economic viability of injecting bio-methane into existing gas networks for two end user defined case studies with high potential, considering a range of factors related to:

• Feedstock (e.g. locations of potentially high yield sources of bio-methane (from both urban and agricultural waste), potential locations for aggregation and processing, the proximity of suitable transport networks etc.),
• Production (e.g. anaerobic digestion, upgrading, treatment),
• Transmission (e.g. locations and attributes (e.g. capacity, pressure) of existing gas networks).

2.    A report detailing a conceptual framework outlining the requirements for performing assessments of the commercial viability of injecting bio-methane into existing gas networks at locations of interest in an Australian context.

Dr Stephen McGrail

Email: stephenmcgrail@futurefuelscrc.com