National gas company DEPA Commercial is launching the trial operation of Greece’s first biomethane and bio-CNG production facility. The renewable fuel is intended for sale at its service station chain, for vehicles.
Greece’s state-owned natural gas importer, wholesaler and supplier DEPA Commercial said it is approaching the trial operation phase of the country’s first compressed biomethane production unit, located at Farma Chitas. The company has just obtained the first installation permit that the Ministry of Environment and Energy issued for the renewable fuel.
The site is in Filippiada in the Preveza county in western Greece. Through the pilot project, DEPA Commercial invested in new energy solutions and the utilization of renewable energy sources, contributing to the development of Greece’s domestic renewable gas market, the update reads.
The produced bio-CNG, chemically identical to compressed natural gas of fossil origin, will be available at DEPA Commercial’s Fisikon service stations and used as transportation fuel.
Pilot project in Epirus is for processing biogas from surplus production capacity
Biomethane is purified biogas and it can be injected in natural gas pipelines. The facility, located in the municipality of Ziros in the Epirus region, is an upgrade of an existing biogas station.
Farma Chitas, also known as Chitas Farm, uses the fuel to generate electricity. However, it is licensed for 3 MW, while the maximum biogas production capacity is equivalent to 3.6 MW. It leaves an excess 609 kW, the documentation shows.
The bio-CNG plant at Farma Chitas can deliver 17 cubic meters per day
The new biomethane unit spans almost 500 square meters. It is allowed to churn out as much as 2.28 tons per day and compress the quantity into 17 cubic meters of bio-CNG.
Kyriaki Karakitsou from DEPA Commercial, in charge of subsidiary activities, pointed out that the endeavor is among the solutions to limit dependence on energy imports. It is a basis for the evaluation of further investment opportunities and broader utilization of biomethane, in her view.
After the trial operation is complete, the company can apply for an operating license, with an ambition to reach full operation early next year, the official added.
Jørgensen: Energy independence needs to be priority
The announcement about the facility in Epirus was published during the European Biomethane Week in Brussels.
“There is nothing more relevant than security. Yes, we need to look at prices and at flexibility, but independence needs to be the priority. Second thing is that climate change is here, and we know we need to act fast and do way more. Renewables play a big part to transition away from polluting electrons, but we will still need molecules and biogas biomethane is a part of those solutions”, European Commissioner for Energy and Housing Dan Jørgensen stated at the event.
Of note, Hungarian fossil fuel giant MOL Group has just launched production at its Szarvas biomethane plant. It also upgraded a biogas facility.