Page 165 - CW E-Magazine (11-3-2025)

News from Abroad News from Abroad

DECARBONISATION INITIATIVE CIRCULAR ECONOMY
Asahi Kasei’s new biogas facility in Japan to demonstrate TotalEnergies starts its second largest biogas unit

CO separation & recovery utilising zeolites in France
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Japanese chemicals firm Asahi France’s TotalEnergies has com- allowing the project to
Kasei and Kurashiki City recently missioned ‘BioNorrois’, its 8th bio- adapt to the needs of the
opened a biogas purifi cation system at methane production unit in France, territory. “With this new
a sewage treatment plant in Kurashiki, located in Fontaine-le-Dun (Normandy). plant, which brings our
Okayama Prefecture, Japan. The sys- It will inject 153-GWh of biomethane biogas production capa-
tem will evaluate and demonstrate the per year into the natural gas transport city in the country to more
performance of Asahi Kasei’s CO sepa- network operated by GRTgaz. than 800 GWh, TotalEner-
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ration/recovery technology utilising gies confi rms its position
zeolites. The French sugar group Cristal as a major player in the
Union, partner in the project and 10% market,” said Ms. Karine
In 2022, Asahi Kasei and Kurashiki shareholder, will provide beet pulp resi- of sustainable and locally produced Boissy-Rousseau, VP Green Gases at
City had inked a partnership agreement dues from its adjacent production site fertilisers. This new territorial installation TotalEnergies.
for the realisation of carbon neutrality in to the biomethane plant, which will will save more than 5,500-tpa of
society. Advancing the demonstration represent up to 80% of the 185-ktpa of chemical fertilisers and avoid emitting “This partnership with TotalEner-
30-ktpa of CO .
trial for decarbonisation is one of the organic materials used. 2 gies is a full-scale project for the treat-
ment of pulp. Beyond the production of
provisions of the partnership. The newly The development of BioNorrois is biogas from our production residues,
opened biogas purification system The attendees of the grand opening ceremony. Kaori Ito, Mayor of Kurashiki City (fourth from The 150-ktpa tons of digestate pro-
separates CO and methane from bio- right), and Osamu Matsuzaki, Senior Executive Offi cer duced will be fully utilised by Cristal the result of consultation with all local it will allow us to provide our partner
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gas using the optimum combination of Union and the Norman cooperative stakeholders, including more than 130 farmers with digestate to spread on
a special zeolite as adsorbent that selec- NatUp with partner farms, to support farmers and agri-food industries as well their fi elds,” added Mr. Xavier Astolfi ,
tively adsorbs CO and a special pres- them in their transition to the use as local administrations and offi cials, General Manager of Cristal Union.
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sure vacuum swing adsorption (PVSA) DECARBONISATION
process technology. The zeolite is a
crystalline aluminosilicate having regu- Maire bags licensing contract by Transition Industries
lar channels (pores) controlled on the
order of angstroms (ten-millionths of a for Mexican low-carbon methanol project
millimetre) and cavities (voids) with a
specifi c surface area exceeding several Italian engineering major, Maire, expected to be the largest single ultra-low Tec, Nextchem’s subsidiary dedicated
hundred square metres per gram. has announced that its Nextchem’s carbon methanol facility in the world – pro- to low-carbon hydrogen and methanol
The fl ow of biogasifi cation and biogas upgrading purifi cation to high purity methane
subsidiary KT Tech has been awarded ducing approximately 350-ktpa of green solutions, integrates its proprietary Auto-
Asahi Kasei’s PVSA process tech- generated using biogas derived from Kojima Sewage Treatment Plant began a licensing contract for the implemen- methanol and 1.8-mtpa of blue methanol thermal Reforming (ATR) process and
nology, which separates specifi c gases sewage sludge at the Kojima Sewage in February 2025. Asahi Kasei is res- tation of Nextchem’s proprietary NX from natural gas with carbon capture. methanol synthesis loop and propri-
by changes in pressure, enables the Treatment Plant. The new system will ponsible for the design, installation, AdWinMethanol Zero technology for etary CO capture technologies. This
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removal of CO from biogas to refi ne use a portion of this biogas for the and operation of the system, as well as Pacifi co Mexinol, an ultra-low carbon According to Maire, the value of the technology further minimises carbon
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high-purity methane gas (biomethane) demonstration trial. Furthermore, if evaluating and demonstrating its per- methanol facility near Los Mochis, licensing award, which will be partly emissions to nearly zero by converting
at a high recovery rate. Biogas from the CO separated by this system is formance, while Kurashiki City will Sinaloa, on the Pacifi c coast of Mexico, recognised upfront and partly at Final captured CO and green hydrogen into
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sewage sludge, garbage, etc., consists utilised and/or stored, it would achieve supply biogas generated from sewage with an output in excess of 2.1-mtpa. Investment Decision, is in the “low tens of ultra-low-carbon methanol. Ultra-low
of approximately 60% methane and carbon capture, utilisation, and storage sludge in addition to providing the site million euro”, in line with transactions of carbon methanol can be used to faci-
40% CO . While the use of biogas as (CCUS), which is carbon negative. In for the trial. Transition Industries, a US-based this kind. The whole package is estimated litate the decarbonisation of the hard to
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a carbon-neutral fuel is rapidly expand- the demonstration trial, the separated developer of low-carbon methanol and to be about €250-mn, also including the abate chemicals sectors. The methanol
ing, it is also a source of biomethane as methane is returned and used as fuel to Commercialisation of the system hydrogen facilities, is jointly developing basic engineering, proprietary and critical produced by Pacifi co Mexinol will
a substitute for natural gas in Europe, generate electricity for effective utilisa- is expected around 2027 following Pacifi co Mexinol with the International equipment supply, as well as assistance facilitate the decarbonisation of hundreds
the US, and other regions. tion of the biogas. additional trials in countries or Finance Corporation (IFC), a member of to commissioning, start-up and operation of downstream everyday products,
regions where biogas purifi cation is the World Bank Group. When it initiates of the facility. The NX AdWinMethanol including plastics, paints, car parts and
In Kurashiki City, electricity is The demonstration trial at the performed. operation in 2028, Pacifi co Mexinol is Zero technology developed by GasCon- construction materials.

164 Chemical Weekly March 11, 2025 Chemical Weekly March 11, 2025 165

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