The inter-departmental syndicate for the sanitation of the Paris conurbation (SIAAP) and Suez have come up with a new solution, BioGNVAL, to convert wastewater into liquid biofuel.
The demonstration took place at Valenton plant in Paris. The plant, which treats 800,000 m3 of water per day, is regarded as one of the largest water treatment facilities in Europe. It treats wastewater from the Paris region having almost 9 million inhabitants.
The BioGNVAL industrial demonstrator reuses the biogas from the treatment of wastewater as liquid biofuel (bioLNG), a renewable fuel which is easy to store and transport.
This is made possible by cryogenic process developed by Cryo Pur. It purifies the biogas by separating its components – methane and CO2- to release biomethane, which will be converted into liquid biofuel later.
The project has been financed by "Investissements for the Future", a programme initiated by the French Environment and Energy Management Agency (ADEME), the SIAPP and SUEZ.
The project was launched in 2013 to demonstrate technical and economic feasibility to produce liquid methane gas from biogas, with a view to develop the process on an international scale.
It now demonstrates that clean fuel can be produced from wastewater, without emitting any fine particles, reducing noise by 50% and cutting CO2 emissions by almost 90%.
SIAAP president Belaïde Bedreddine said: "In my opinion, this biogas from our wastewater treatment plants represents a concrete contribution by the regions to the joint effort to the energy transition.
"Indeed, this innovative offer is in line with our industrial strategy by a medium and long term. It is a technological solution that can be duplicated with the environmental benefits of an economic fuel, sustainable, easy to store and safe for public health."
The new technology will allow Suez to strengthen its position in the French and global biogas markets, as it brings a new form of energy.
SUEZ CEO Jean-Louis Chaussade said: "We are proud of this innovation, made possible by the collaboration with the SIAAP and our partners, that will make our regions more attractive and help to combat climate change.
"This successful example of the circular economy and local reuse circuits opens up new prospects, both for local authorities and industrials that want to fully engage in the energy transition"