Biogrid – when biogas and natural gas meet

Europe is heading for increased use of renewable energy. The only right answer for the gas industry is to incorporate biogas and biomethane in their business. However, by sticking to the complex system of precisely defined gas compositions that differ all over Europe, the gas industry unintentionally builds a costly barrier against increased production of biomethane. A change of thinking is necessary whereby a varying gas composition is not seen as a problem, but as the solution. By using appliances that can automatically handle a wide variety of gas compositions, biogas can be incorporated in the existing system. This saves costs for the producer, the DSO and the society as a whole. By applying this so-called Biogrid all gas compositions, including biogas, can be distributed. The solution is being brought into practice by ATAG Heating, a boiler manufacturer, and Liander1, a Dutch DSO, in pilot projects where the adaptive high-efficiency boiler and the gas regulating and mixing stations are functioning without problems. To enable further roll-out of Biogrid, new methods of fiscal metering need to be accepted. Manufacturers are challenged to develop more adaptive wide-band appliances.