Air Liquide For 155-GWh/Year RNG Purification Plant, Its First Ever In Latin America

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July 31, 2024

Walter E. Von Riese

Air Liquide will design, build, and deliver its first biomethane purification plant in Latin America for solid waste at the Cariacica landfill in Espírito Santo, Brazil. The site, owned and operated by Marca Ambiental, receives half of all waste produced in the state. The new facility will be capable of transforming this waste and processing 88,287 scf (2500 m³) per hour of biogas into biomethane, also known as renewable natural gas (RNG). At this rate, the site will have a total production capacity of 155 GWh/year of RNG, which can be injected into the natural gas pipeline to provide energy to the local community. The site is expected to be operational in the second half of 2025.

Air Liquide operates along the entire RNG value chain, from the production of biogas from waste to its purification into biomethane for injection into gas networks or compression/liquefaction with storage and transport to customers. This industrial scale biomethane production unit complements Air Liquide’s existing biogas equipment offering in Latin America. In Brazil, the company offers the AG050 and AG100 bio stations, which process biogas produced from local agricultural waste on rural properties into biomethane. Globally, Air Liquide currently has 26 operational biomethane production units for an annual production capacity of around 1.8 TWh.

Earlier this year, Air Liquide adopted a new internal charter that goes beyond current regulations and establishes a framework for measuring and tracking progress toward more sustainable biomethane production across the industry. (Image Courtesy Of Air Liquide)

“The opportunity to bring to the local market a technology that is already well-established in other countries where Air Liquide Group is present demonstrates the potential of our solutions for a more sustainable and low-carbon future,” said Caio Mogyca, director of new business model development, South America. “We want to continue putting our knowledge and experience to work toward this commitment.”

Air Liquide provides solutions for biogas upgrading and biomethane liquefaction. (Image Courtesy Of Air Liquide)

“We chose Air Liquide to be our partner in this project because of its consolidated experience in developing sustainable solutions that apply to the most diverse business profiles, in addition to our shared commitment to values such as respect for the environment and the consolidation of the energy transition,” said Diogo Ribeiro, director of renewable energies at Marca Group.