Finnish technology group Wärtsilä has successfully engineered, delivered, and installed a cutting-edge biogas upgrading solution for a newly inaugurated 17-tons-per-day liquefaction plant in Hjørring, Denmark. Securing the contract in 2022, Wärtsilä marked the official start-up of the facility in June 2023.
Operated by GrønGas A/S, the Hjørring plant is one of two biogas facilities under their ownership in Denmark, the other being located in Vrå, both featuring Wärtsilä's advanced biogas upgrading solutions.
With an annual production capacity exceeding 6,200 tons of bioLNG, the Hjørring plant employs Wärtsilä's Mixed Refrigerant (MR) liquefaction unit, boasting a remarkably low power consumption of less than 0.75 kWh per kilogram of bioLNG liquified. This energy efficiency, coupled with Wärtsilä's Puregas CA technology for biogas upgrading and polishing, achieving a total methane loss of less than 0.1%, positions the plant as an environmentally sound and economically viable venture.
The Puregas CA system at Hjørring is equipped with Wärtsilä's patented VAC (vacuum) option, providing enhanced flexibility in delivering heat to the upgrader, accommodating heat sources down to a temperature of 95 degrees Celsius.
By converting manure-based biogas into bioLNG, the Hjørring plant is anticipated to contribute significantly to environmental conservation, yielding an annual reduction of approximately 41,000 tons of CO2 emissions when replacing natural gas.
Allan K. Olesen, CEO of GrønGas, emphasized the importance of biogas as a renewable energy source in Denmark's climate change mitigation efforts, expressing confidence in Wärtsilä's solutions as integral to their sustainability objectives.
Goran Gajski, Sales Manager Biogas for Denmark and Norway at Wärtsilä Gas Solutions, conveyed pride in supporting GrønGas's contribution to a decarbonized future, underscoring the energy integration capabilities of Wärtsilä's biogas solutions in optimizing performance and minimizing overall energy costs.