One of the largest biogas upgrading plants in Japan uses SEPURAN® Green membranes and is running smoothly now
This upgrading unit has been installed at biogas plant of waste treatment center in Kagoshima City.
The biogas separation membrane "SEPURAN® Green" of Polyplastics-Evonik Corporation (Headquarters: Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo, President: Tadashi Kanai) has been adopted for biogas upgrading unit of Tokyo Gas Engineering Solutions Co., Ltd. (Headquarters: Minato-ku, Tokyo, President: Yasuhiro Konishi) and has been running smoothly at the Nanbu waste treatment center in Kagoshima City.
This upgrading unit has been installed at biogas plant of waste treatment center in Kagoshima City, where biogas (biomethane) will be purified and then, it has been supplied to local gas company to be used as raw material for city gas. This is the first case in Japan to use biogas from waste treatment center as raw material for city gas and sell it to gas company. And furthermore, it is one of the largest scale of biogas plants in Japan.
In order to achieve carbon neutrality by 2050, city gas companies are actively considering to use biogas. In Japan, biogas is popular to use for power generation but if it is used as raw material for city gas, it is easy for storage and efficient use of energy resource without waste. Therefore, there are many cases in overseas with grid injection or use as a fuel for CNG vehicles.
"SEPURAN® Green" membranes already have more than 800 references overseas because of its high CO2/CH4 selectivity with high capacity.
Compared with other biogas upgrading processes, membrane separation requires less energy consumption, low running cost, and can be made into a compact facility with a small footprint with simple operation.
Polyplastics-Evonik Corporation aims to realize a sustainable society and will continue to provide detailed technical support to customers.
*SEPURAN® is a trademark of Evonik Industries and distributed by Polyplastics-Evonik Corporation in Japan.
About Polyplastics-Evonik Corporation Ltd.
This company was established in 1970 as a joint venture between Huels AG (now Evonik Industries AG) and Daicel Chemical Industries, Ltd. (now Daicel Corporation). It has created such high-quality, high-performance polymers as nylon 12 and transparent nylon. In recent years, the company has broadened its product lineup to encompass C8 & C12 alicyclic compounds, polymethyl methacrylate, and super-engineering thermoplastics, and polyether ether ketone. The company leverages new perspectives and ideas in an ongoing drive to improve product quality and reinforce technical services. In December 2021, Daicel Corporation transferred its stake in this company to wholly owned subsidiary Polyplastics Co., Ltd. The company was renamed Polyplastics-Evonik Corporation on April 1, 2022.
About Evonik Industries AG
Evonik is one of the world leaders in specialty chemicals. The company is active in more than 100 countries around the world and generated sales of €15 billion and an operating profit (adjusted EBITDA) of €2.38 billion in 2021. Evonik goes far beyond chemistry to create innovative, profitable and sustainable solutions for customers. About 33,000 employees work together for a common purpose: We want to improve life today and tomorrow.
About Smart Materials
The Smart Materials division includes businesses with innovative materials that enable resource-saving solutions and replace conventional materials. They are the smart answer to the major challenges of our time: environment, energy efficiency, urbanization, mobility and health. The Smart Materials division generated sales of €3.92 billion in 2021 with about 7,900 employees.
Disclaimer
In so far as forecasts or expectations are expressed in this press release or where our statements concern the future, these forecasts, expectations or statements may involve known or unknown risks and uncertainties. Actual results or developments may vary, depending on changes in the operating environment. Neither Evonik Industries AG nor its group companies assume an obligation to update the forecasts, expectations or statements contained in this release.