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Marina Schwarz

Uniper Converts Wind Power to Methane

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The German utility is launching a pilot project for the conversion of electricity into something it calls "green methane." I'm not exactly sure what the difference is between green methane and the bad, um, non-green methane that is so much more potent a greenhouse gas than carbon dioxide. Besides, can't we get enough green methane from cows? I'd appreciate someone enlightening me.

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(edited)

The power from the wind turbine is used tu split  water into oxygen and hydrogen, then the hydrogen is mixed with carbon dioxyde (in this case from a bio-ethanol plant) to produce this green methane.

The "green" label comes from the fact that this process is a way to recycle CO2 to produce methane.

 

CO2 + 4H2→ CH4 + 2H2O

added the formula

 

Edited by Guillaume Albasini
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wouldn't this increase the cost of methane compared to biogas & fossil natural gas? 

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I don't know what the final cost will be as this is a pilot project and not a large scale production.

The goal of the power to gas scheme is to use the extra capacity of solar and wind (when supply is higher than demand) to produce hydrogen or methane.

Some interesting points :

- Gas is easier to store than electricity

- It's a way to recycle CO2

- Green methane is renewable

- Gas can be produced closer to the users reducing transport  infrastructure costs

For Europe it could be a way to be less dependent from russian gas or US LNG.

http://www.europeanpowertogas.com/about/power-to-gas

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On ‎5‎/‎11‎/‎2018 at 8:17 PM, Marina Schwarz said:

Besides, can't we get enough green methane from cows? I'd appreciate someone enlightening me.

even if you convince your cow that it is kinda cool to walk around with a hose in its a$$ and balloon attached to it - there is still an issue of separation of gas from the solids... not to mention methane escaping from the business end of the cow when it belch.  

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On ‎5‎/‎11‎/‎2018 at 8:39 PM, Guillaume Albasini said:

The power from the wind turbine is used tu split  water into oxygen and hydrogen, then the hydrogen is mixed with carbon dioxyde (in this case from a bio-ethanol plant) to produce this green methane.

The "green" label comes from the fact that this process is a way to recycle CO2 to produce methane.

 

CO2 + 4H2→ CH4 + 2H2O

added the formula

 

do you know amount of energy required to 1) break H2O and 2) replace O2 in CO2 with H? Wouldn't it be easier to burn hydrogen directly? Fuel cells, pipelines? (yeah, I know about hydrogen-assisted cracking of steel)

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(edited)

"wind power to methane" - less convoluted approach for direct capture:

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-2606956/Now-THATS-wind-power-Cows-wear-BACKPACKS-capture-emissions-miniature-power-stations.html

and I though I was joking about tubes and balloons... reality is funnier than I can think of))

fartpack.jpg.f51729499e6dd90394a5fed5f3761d17.jpg

Edited by DanilKa
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That's how you do it! Very eco-friendly.

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