CarbonATE - microbiological methanation
Development of an enzymatic CO2-capture strategy for an optimised microbiological methanation
At a glance
- Project leader : Dr. Wolfgang Merkle
- Deputy of project leader : Prof. Dr. Urs Baier
- Project team : Dr. Serge Biollaz, Andrew Corbin, Prof. Dr. Theo Smits
- Project budget : EUR 1'068'442
- Project status : ongoing
- Funding partner : EU and other international programmes (Horizon 2020 / ERA-NET)
- Project partner : Universität für Bodenkultur Wien, BIOENERGY 2020+ GmbH, Energieversorgung Margarethen am Moos GmbH, AAT Abwasser- und Abfalltechnik GmbH, Paul Scherrer Institut PSI
- Contact person : Wolfgang Merkle
Description
The European Union aims at a transition towards a renewable
energy system by strengthening biomass exploitation. Within P2G
concept bio-methanation of CO2 from biomass conversion systems with
H2 enables an overall emission reduction. For this methanation
process the amount of gases serving as potential CO2 sources is
limited due to impurities like O2 or N2 in many industrial exhaust
gases. Purification technologies for CO2 are costly and very energy
consuming. By using an enzymatic CO2 capture process the energy
demand and the costs will be reduced and “impure” gases like
exhaust gases from e.g. biomass combustion or CHP-units will be
applicable. Thus, these gas streams serve as alternative carbon
sources and have the potential to substantially increase the
exploitation of biomass for the production of energy carriers. Such
efficient P2G systems are mandatory towards a fossil fuel free
society and will strengthen the role of renewable energy in the
future European energy system.