The transformation of the current Sewage Water Treatment Plant, with its state-of-the-art technology, delivered by DMT Environmental Technology, will be installed by Waternet on behalf of WaterBoard Amstel, Gooi and Vecht in the western port area (RWZI).
The biogas upgrading process
The sewage sludge that remains after the water is purified, is transferred into a digester. During this fermentation process biogas is being produced. A typical biogas composition, arising from this process, is 55% methane, 44% carbon dioxide and some inert gasses with impurities such as H2S. By using a unique system, developed by DMT Environmental Technology, the gas composition will be separated into main streams; one stream will be almost 100% pure carbon dioxide and the other stream (bio) methane will be above 90%, a so-called Biogas Upgrading Plant. By adding nitrogen to this purified biomethane stream, the same caloric value as natural gas will be achieved and is ready for injection into the gas pipeline. This purified biomethane stream, derived out of a circular economy, is the perfect substitute for natural fossil gas.
The use of biomethane
Trucks, public transport and taxis, in the city will also significantly reduce their carbon footprint by using this alternative fuel. This is thanks to the collaboration with OrangeGas, operator of renewable natural gas fuel stations in Amsterdam. OrangeGas has a significant number of Green Gas fuel stations throughout the Netherlands and is the biggest supplier of this clean alternative fuel for the transportation sector. Through this unique collaboration, renewable fuel is being utilized by 5600 vehicles and 420 garbage collection trucks. This results in a significant reduction in the carbon footprint of the transportation sector in Amsterdam.
DMT’s biggest project in the Netherlands
This is DMT’s biggest project in the Netherlands. The first phase was delivering a total engineering and design package for a biogas upgrading plant to process 2050Nm3/h of raw biogas; purifying, conditioning, compressing and drying to achieve the final required end-quality for injecting the biomethane into the Dutch national gas grid. This first phase included all the required local approvals in preparation for the second phase, the execution phase.
The second phase, the actual build of the project started in April 2020. DMT is responsible for the development of the entire site which includes local approvals, civils, security and entrance gates, transformer stations, HDD-drilling for the raw biogas pipelines and electrical power supplies.
“In this project …DMT is going to operate the Biogas Upgrading Plant for a minimum of ten years, the model is launched as an EPCMOT– Engineering, Procurement, Construct, Maintain, Operate and Trade. In this consortium, OrangeGas will be responsible for the trading of the gas”, says Francois Huberts, global sales & marketing director at DMT Environmental Technology.
This Biogas Upgrading System will upgrade 14,7 million m3 raw biogas into 9,7 million m3 upgraded biomethane, green gas. The project will supply about 10% of the total amount of green gas utilized by the national grid in the Netherlands. Waternet soon will become one of the biggest biomethane providers in the country with a total CO2 reduction of 26.200 tons per year, by utilizing the usable CO2 which represent a total number of around 5.7 million m3.
