Schmack Biogas to build second biomethane plant in France

Schmack Biogas, a Viessmann Group company, has been awarded a further contract for the construction of a biomethane plant in Sourdun in northern France.

In mid-December, the French government adopted a new feed-in tariff for electricity from biogas. France is the biggest country in the EU and uses a much larger area for agriculture than Germany. The potential for biogas plants is enormous.

With this new regulation, and in particular the subsidy, which is being extended by up to five years, it is highly likely that market growth will be stronger in future.

The planned biogas plant is expected to be able to produce 250 Nm³/h of raw biogas in the first phase of the development. However, the design already includes a possible second development phase to increase production to 500 Nm3/h of raw biogas.

The raw biogas will be refined to a methane content of at least 97% by means of pressure swing adsorption (PSA process). As a result, the biogas will be of natural gas quality and will be able to be fed into Sourdun's local supply network.

Biogas plant

Schmack Carbotech, the Viessmann Group's biogas upgrading specialist, will supply the gas upgrading plant. Schmack Biogas will supply the biogas plant and is responsible for the entire project in its role as the general contractor.

In December 2016, the necessary permits for the construction of the project were issued, enabling construction work to be completed and biogas to be fed into the network for the first time by the end of 2017.

The customer is SARL Létang Biométhane, a local enterprise formed by the family Létang.

The arable farming business in the Département Seine et Marne in the region Ile-de-France will then be able to produce approx. 25 million kilowatt hours of biomethane as a natural gas equivalent from vegetable waste and catch crops each year. This corresponds approximately to supplying around 1500 households per year with renewable heating.