BIOFerm – Gas Upgrading

Home / Catalog Entries / BIOFerm – Gas Upgrading

BIOFerm – Gas Upgrading

About the Company:

BIOFerm has been providing turnkey gas upgrading and anaerobic digestion systems to the North American market since 2007. Their extensive experience allows them to provide sustainable and economical solutions that integrate seamlessly into a variety of agricultural operations. As an engineering, procurement, and construction (EPC) partner, BIOFerm handles every aspect of the process from conception through commissioning and is committed to providing successful renewable energy projects to their customers.

About the Solution:

BIOFerm offers complete, turnkey gas upgrading systems and gas-to-grid injection units utilizing PSA and/or membrane technology to scrub raw biogas—from AD systems, landfills, municipalities, wastewater treatment plants, agricultural operations, etc. —to create a high-value RNG product.

Over 900 systems across the globe have been installed to-date based on their technology, including CNG and natural gas pipeline injection projects.

Unique in the biogas industry is their ability to provide modular, all-inclusive gas upgrading solutions that include all the necessary upgrading components, such as:

  • Compressor
  • Thermal oxidizer
  • Chiller
  • Booster blower
  • Desulfurization
  • CO2, O2, and N2 removal
  • Industry-standard control system over all equipment
  • Complete system performance guarantee
Their pre-manufactured, pre-tested, and pre-assembled gas upgrading systems process biogas in an environmentally conscious manner and typically result in a methane recovery rate of >99%. Onsite installation costs are often also minimized due to the skid-ready nature.

Key attributes of the BIOFerm’s technology include:

  • Capable of meeting stringent pipeline requirements
  • Removes oxygen from the gas
  • Capable of handling high-nitrogen gas
  • In-house volatile organic compound (VOC) removal technology
  • High methane yield and no increased methane losses over time
  • Low operating costs and system efficiency
  • Modular approach
  • Technology emphasis on high processing efficiency

    BIOFerm gas upgrading is a dry process operating with no water, wastewater or chemical products and includes the following steps:

    1. Raw biogas is compressed
    2. Condensed water vapor is removed through a cooling system
    3. Trace components removed with activated carbon
    4. Conditioned biogas is channeled through the PSA adsorbers or membranes to remove CO2, H2O, H2S, NH3, siloxanes, odors and parts of O2 and N2.
    5. RNG is produced
    6. RNG is injected into the grid, or further upgraded to CNG


    Compared to typical chemical and water scrubber systems and membrane technology, BIOFerm’s technology has: no process water/process water conditioning; no wastewater/wastewater treatment; no chemicals; and no off gas with toxic contaminants.

  • BIOFerm 2537 Daniels Street Madison, WI USA (608) 467-5523 Visit Company Website

    Solution Type

    • AD Support

    Vendor

    • Equipment Vendor

    Product

    • Energy
    • Services

    Problem

    • GHG
    • Odor
    • Pathogens

    To view additional information about this vendor, click below.

    Solution Strengths, Weaknesses and Critical Indicators

    Anaerobic Digester Associated Technology:

    NOTE: There are several technology types that are used as part of an integrated manure management system that includes an anaerobic digester and are not applicable to manure management in other cases. The impact of these technologies on the critical indicators are represented as those of an entire anaerobic digester system.

       

    • Long usable life and can be run reliably
    • Creates energy and generates environmental credits
    • Requires proper preparation of the feedstock
    • Requires other technologies for energy utilization
    • Requires other technologies for digestate handling
    • Proper feeding & system monitoring is required to avoid system downtime
    • Proven technology for odor control, GHG reduction and pathogen reduction

    Newtrient Comments/Opinions:

    Biogas upgrading technology:

    • Produces renewable natural gas (RNG) by removing carbon dioxide, hydrogen sulfide, nitrogen, oxygen and water vapor from biogas
    • Includes technologies such as membrane separation, pressure swing adsorption and water scrubbing
    • Used to treat biogas from an anaerobic digester
    • Most systems are technically complex
    • Interconnection to the national gas infrastructure typically requires large systems and proximity to large volume gas lines
      Newtrient will continue to work with BIOFerm on continued updates to the technology and the dairy manure application as they develop more projects in the United States.

    Newtrient 9-Point Scoring Rating

    View the Scoring Page

    Disclaimer: Newtrient has collected the information and photographs on this page from public sources including the vendor’s website and promotional material in accordance with Section 107 of the Copyright Act 1976, allowance for "fair use". All vendor product and company names are trademarks™, registered trademarks® and/or trade names of the respective vendors or their licensors. Unless otherwise noted, Newtrient is not associated, connected or affiliated with, or sponsored or endorsed by, any vendor or licensor of such trademarks and trade names. See Terms of Use for details.

    1. OPERATIONAL HISTORY