EU-funded bio-LNG plant nears completion

The construction of the bio-LNG plant at Attero's facility at Wilp in the Netherlands has seen "good progress," Nordsol stated.

PHOTO: The bio-LNG plant aims to cater to bunker market demand. Nordsol

“Getting closer and closer to the first bio-LNG being delivered to the maritime sector by Titan," the Netherlands-based bio-LNG firm Nordsol posted on LinkedIn.

Once complete, the plant will produce around 2,400 mt of bio-LNG and 5,000 mt of liquid biogenic CO2 annually. Dutch LNG bunker supplier Titan will exclusively supply bio-LNG as bunker fuel through this project.

Nordsol added that, as part of the project’s progress, the cryogenic installation for the liquefaction of biogas has arrived at the site. 

CO2 liquefaction is a part of the bio-LNG production process, where methane is separated from CO2. This CO2 is captured, liquefied and reused as biogenic CO2. Bio-LNG is considered a more sustainable alternative to fossil LNG as it is produced from organic waste or biomass.

However, bunkering of bio-LNG has been less popular when compared to fossil LNG. According to Port of Rotterdam data, no bio-LNG sales have been recorded in the port since 2021, while fossil LNG bunker sales rose by a massive 52% last year.

In 2021, the EU awarded a €4.3 million ($4.61 million) grant to Titan to develop the bio-LNG production plant, along with Attero and Nordsol. Named the FirstBio2Shipping project, it aims to establish a decentralised bio-LNG production plant to cater to the bunker market.

By Manjula Nair  

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