Ensuring operational safety of the natural gas grid by removal of oxygen from biogas via catalytic oxidation of methane

In Europe, in particular in Germany, biogas features a strong growth. The overall biogas capacity in Germany is to be increased to a level which will afford a recompression of biogas from local gas distribution networks or direct injection of biogas into the high pressure transportation network in future. Due to the fact that biogas typically contains certain amounts of oxygen, german authorities have set up a threshold value of 10 ppmv, following EASEE-gas recommendations, in order to protect the gas infrastructure and gas storages from corrosion. Since a small amount of oxygen is inevitable, some promising new options for the removal of oxygen have been identified within a recent DVGW survey. One promising alternative to state of the art technologies is the catalytic oxidation of methane. Currently detailed investigations are being performed in a catalytic test rig at the Engler-Bunte-Institute, in order to gain some basic design data for the implementation of a catalytic oxygen removal unit based on the utilization of biomethane in a technical scale.