Techno-economic feasibility of gas production plant assessed by Gasum, Kemira and City of Lappeenranta

The techno-economic feasibility of the first gas production plant of its size class based on new technology is being assessed by Gasum, Kemira and City of Lappeenranta. If implemented on the scale now examined, the methanation plant could be by far the largest plant in the world producing renewable methane from hydrogen and carbon dioxide with its annual production capacity of up to 20 MW.

Launched at the beginning of March, the joint project assesses the production of renewable methane gas from by-product hydrogen and carbon dioxide from the techno-economic perspective. The current energy gases natural gas and biogas also consist of almost pure methane. The techno-economic feasibility study is conducted by Neste Jacobs and is due for completion in June 2017. The study is led in cooperation by the energy company Gasum Ltd, the chemicals company Kemira Oyj and the City of Lappeenranta.

”The by-product hydrogen for the future plant would be created in the electrolysis processes of our Joutseno plant, which means the energy contained by the hydrogen would originate from the electricity used for electrolysis. The methanation would also generate a considerable amount of heat, which could be utilized fully in the processes of our plant,” says Janne Tynninen, Plant Manager, Kemira Joutseno Plant.

”We’re constantly looking for new routes for renewable gas production as part of our creation of a clean gas ecosystem. Thanks to the advances made in the power-to-gas concept, in recent years we’ve also been looking comprehensively into hydrogen methanation solutions. If we could inject the gas produced in Joutseno into the gas transmission network, renewable methane would be easy to utilize in contexts such as energy production, industry or transport,” says Jouni Haikarainen, Senior Vice President, Natural Gas, Gasum.

”We’ve been surveying the opportunities to promote the power-to-gas investment in South Karelia since last winter, and related technologies are also studied and piloted at Lappeenranta University of Technology. In the power-to-gas system, water electrolysis is used to store surplus power from wind and solar electricity production peaks as hydrogen, which can then be methanated into renewable methane gas that is equal in composition to natural gas. We identified the methanation of hydrogen produced at the Kemira plant as an interesting option and agreed on cooperation with Kemira and Gasum in autumn 2016,” says Markku Heinonen, Development Manager, City of Lappeenranta.

”It’s very interesting to be involved in a feasibility study concerning a gas production plant based on new technology and industrial integration. This techno-economic study will provide a good view of the feasibility of a production plant based on renewable gas in the near future,” says Mika Ketomäki, Project Manager, Neste Jacobs.

For more information please contact:
Jouni Haikaranen, Senior Vice President, Natural Gas, Gasum
Phone: +358 40 709 5690, firstname.surname(a)gasum.fi

Janne Tynninen, Plant Director, Joutseno, Kemira Oyj
Phone: +358 40 703 3823, firstname.surname(a)kemira.com

Markku Heinonen, Development Manager, City of Lappeenranta
Phone: +358 40 581 1998 firstname.surname(a)lappeenranta.fi

Mika Ketomäki, Project Manager, Neste Jacobs
Phone: +358 50 458 1420, firstname.surname(a)nestejacobs.fi