Biomethane, what it is and why it is the most sustainable alternative to diesel
As it is easy to see, having read the price lists and offers of manufacturers, natural gas is becoming more and more true. alternative for petroleum-based fuels (in particular, diesel fuel). Especially in the variant of liquefied natural gas, which provides not only equivalent performance, autonomy and practicality (distribution network is under development), but also emissions of harmful substances such as NOx and particles almost completely demolished.
However, there is an even more powerful passage: biomethanewhich promises even lower environmental impact with the same performance. In fact, it has been calculated that if natural methane extracted from the subsoil is formed from From 15 to 20% CO2 less than diesel fuel, the bio-alternative can reduce this value even by 90%... Here's how.
Origin and production
Biomethane is obtained by processing the so-called biogas, the period with which the product fermentation various organic waste, from agricultural biomass, consisting of plant waste, to animal husbandry and manure sewerage, agro-industrial and urban organic waste.
Refinement allows you to bring it to one purity 95% doing it chemically idental to natural gas and, therefore, are potentially suitable for the same purposes, including distribution in methane pipelines, by compression, transportation, liquefaction and subsequent regasification.
"Compensatory" emissions
The eco-compatibility of biomethane makes it precisely its organic origin: it is mainly obtained from plant waste and therefore from sources. 100% renewableis considered neutral in terms of carbon dioxide emissions, as it emits balanced from what is absorbed in their life cycle by the crops themselves, which become raw materials.
Automotive use
Restrictions on its use as a vehicle fuel have always been predominantly normative, a little paradox if you think that Italy with its 1.900 plants in biological digestion, it is the third largest biogas producer in the world. In fact, until yesterday, regulations did not allow its introduction into the network or use in motor vehicles.
This limited the same farms, not what they are equipped with biodigesters to use it for internal needs for the production of electricity with the possibility, in this case permitted, to transfer to the public network a network that exceeds its own needs. Today from Ministry decree of March 2, 2018 finally received go ahead for the supply of methane from biogas.
