Xebec Adsorption (Xebec), a global provider of gas generation, purification, and filtration solutions for the industrial, energy and renewables marketplace, has achieved a significant breakthrough in its fast cycle pressure swing adsorption (PSA) technology for upgrading biogas to renewable natural gas (RNG).

By optimizing the process design and combining it with a novel adsorption/desorption cycle, Xebec can now achieve recovery rates of up to 98.5% while operating at low pressure, allowing operators to maximize revenue, lower operating costs and, consequently, increase profitability.

Xebec has pioneered fast and rapid cycle adsorption technology, bringing its proprietary technology to the biogas upgrading market more than fifteen (15) years ago. Adsorption technology is now well-established for upgrading biogas to RNG and Xebec is a major player with 27 installations operating globally and a growing number of ongoing projects under planning, procurement and construction.

Biogas upgrading has historically been a challenge because gas compositions constantly vary, flow rates fluctuate, and temperatures change with seasonal and weather conditions. Operators need technology solutions that are flexible, reliable, and cost effective in order to maximize profits. Xebec has a sterling reputation for delivering product gas that meets all of these objectives at a quality that can be injected into the pipeline systems. In a collaborative demonstration with Southern California Gas in 2012, Xebec demonstrated that its technology can meet “Rule 30”, California’s very stringent gas quality standard, even under varying operating conditions.

PSA recovery rates typically deliver recoveries in the 94% to 96% range. With this breakthrough in the PSA process and cycle design, Xebec can offer a step change in achievable recovery rates, up to 98.5%, offering its proven adsorption technology that is cost effective, flexible and highly reliable.

Xebec’s newest upgrading systems being deployed in Europe over the last 6 months are achieving these new performance levels. This is one of the reasons Xebec has seen its order book increase significantly.

“This is a game changer for Xebec,” says Kurt Sorschak, President and CEO of Xebec. “Our customers have always been highly complementary of our robust and flexible systems that can adjust within minutes to changing operating conditions while continuously delivering quality product gas that can be sold. With this improvement in recovery to 98.5%, we are now offering clear economic advantages to our customers. Xebec combines high recovery with low operating costs and unrivaled system tolerance and flexibility, resulting in increased profitability for our customers. With 21 projects in our current pipeline, I know customers have clearly taken to Xebec’s new biogas upgrading solution.”