Wärtsilä biogas upgrading plant will help turn grass into gas

Wärtsilä Corporation, Press release 14 June 2022 at 13:00 UTC+2
  • Grass silage ©Wärtsilä

The technology group Wärtsilä will supply its Puregas CA50 biogas upgrading plant for an innovative Green Gas Mill project in the U.K. designed to turn grass into gas that can be used to heat homes. The project is being headed by Ecotricity, a British energy company dedicated to fighting climate change by ending the use of fossil fuels. The order with Wärtsilä was placed in April 2022.

When operational in 2023, this will be the first Green Gas Mill in the U.K, making an important step towards creating a green economy. The proven technology process works with grass that has been broken down in a silage container for approximately two months. It is then put into a digester, where it gives off a methane-rich gas to be fed into the domestic gas network. The Wärtsilä biogas upgrading plant refines the gas before it is sent to the grid.

“Replacing fossil fuels with grass-fed gas provides significant green energy benefits. Importantly, existing gas boilers installed in homes all around Britain can still be used, but in a much more sustainable way. Wärtsilä has a strong track-record in delivering highly efficient biogas upgrading solutions, and their Puregas system is a key element of this project,” commented Chris Ives of Paul Winter Consulting Ltd, the Consulting Engineer appointed by Ecotricity to manage this project.

“As a company committed to helping decarbonise the industries we serve, we are delighted to be involved in this exciting green energy project. In addition to its technology advantages, our Puregas CA50 biogas upgrading plant provides the customer with the lowest total cost of ownership, which is central to our product development,” said Steven Scott, Sales Manager, Biogas Solutions, Wärtsilä Gas Solutions

Green grass is carbon neutral in that the CO2 it absorbs whilst growing is released back into the atmosphere when the methane is burned. Fossil gas, by comparison, releases CO2 that is not in the atmosphere now, meaning that it is a net addition to atmospheric CO2.

Ecotricity plans to build many more Green Gas Mills in the future. The company calculates that 3000 installations would provide enough gas to fuel all 22 million homes that are currently on Britain’s gas grid.

Wärtsilä Gas Solutions is a market leader with innovative systems and lifecycle solutions for the gas value chain. Our main focus areas are handling of gas in seaborne transport (storage, fuel, transfer and BOG management), gas to power, liquefaction and biogas solutions. We help our customers on the journey towards a sustainable future through focus on lifecycle, innovation and digitalization.

Media contact for more information on this release:

Mrs Elin Saure Hasund
Sales & Marketing Coordinator, Gas Solutions
Wärtsilä Marine Systems
Tel: +47 91721144
Elin.saurehasund@wartsila.com

 Image caption: Grass silage ©Wärtsilä

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Wärtsilä Marine Systems in brief:
Wärtsilä Marine Systems supports customers with high quality products and lifecycle services related to the gas value chain, exhaust treatment, shaft line, underwater repair and electrical integrations. We are committed to providing the latest and most efficient solutions, in line with Wärtsilä’s vision for a safe and sustainable future for our customers, our communities and our planet.
www.wartsila.com/marine

Wärtsilä in brief:
Wärtsilä is a global leader in innovative technologies and lifecycle solutions for the marine and energy markets. We emphasise innovation in sustainable technology and services to help our customers continuously improve their environmental and economic performance. Our dedicated and passionate team of 17,000 professionals in more than 200 locations in 68 countries shape the decarbonisation transformation of our industries across the globe. In 2021, Wärtsilä’s net sales totalled EUR 4.8 billion. Wärtsilä is listed on Nasdaq Helsinki.
www.wartsila.com