Bunker supplier Titan LNG has joined forces with waste processor Attero and technology provider Nordsol to produce a bio-LNG plant which will be dedicated to supply the maritime industry.

The trio said the production plant will be located at the Attero facility in Wilp, in the Netherlands.

It will produce 2,400 tons per annum (tpa) of high-purity bio-LNG and 5,000 tpa of liquid bio-CO2.

Titan LNG will be the exclusive long-term off-taker supplying the bio-LNG to the maritime industry where it will cost-effectively substitute fossil fuels, the companies said.

Emissions reductions

They added that the bio-LNG produced will reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 92% compared to a conventional maritime fuel, representing more than 87,500 tons of CO2 equivalent net absolute emissions avoided during the first ten years of operation.

Dubbed the "FirstBio2Shipping" project, the new venture has won €4.2m ($3.58m) in funding from the European Union.

"As one of the first projects to receive funding from the "Fit for 55" package, the FirstBio2Shipping project has also been recognised as practical, because it will supply existing LNG fuelling infrastructure, the new partners said.

The companies said bio-LNG, which originates from organic waste largely from the domestic and agricultural sectors, is "available in abundance".

They detailed that Attero will produce 6m normal cubic metres (Nm3) of biogas per annum from domestic biowaste for the FirstBio2Shipping project. This is upgraded and liquefied into bio-LNG by using Nordsol's iLNG technology.

Challenges resolved

The three companies said this technology resolves various challenges in the production of small-scale LNG.

They detailed that it will produce high-quality bio-LNG that does not contain contaminants, have zero methane slip and will not demand high temperatures in the gas treatment resulting in overall lower costs.

Titan chief technical officer Ronald van Selm, CTO, Titan said: "This project is paramount in implementing our strategy of reaching carbon zero within the coming two decades.

"Mature transport, storage, and bunkering infrastructure are not the only benefits of bio-LNG, it is also increasingly recognised as a sustainable option that can be 'dropped in' and blended with LNG at any ratio, with no changes required onboard the vessels," he added.

Nordsol commercial director Leon van Bossum described the companies' bio-LNG plants as "highly scaleable".

Attero business developer Jan-Willem Steyvers said: "The Firstbio2shipping project will create more opportunities for local biogas upgrading plants, produce high-quality, sustainably sourced bio-LNG, and help decarbonise the maritime industry. It’s a no brainer."