Potato waste now fuels Belgian gas network
Renewable energy company Green Logix has begun injecting biomethane directly into Belgium's gas grid. From its facility in Lommel, Limburg, the gas is sent directly into the high-pressure network of grid operator Fluxys.
Green Logix has been converting potato waste into green electricity, steam, purified water and bio-fertilizers since 2008. Thanks to its biomethane facility, biogas is now another renewable output to the company's operations.
The plant is connected to the high-pressure network of grid operator Fluxys, according to Stijn van Niel Schuuren of Green Logix. “This connection means the biomethane we produce here can go anywhere on the continent."
Half of the feedstock used to produce the biogas comes from potato waste supplied by Farm Frites, a major potato processor located just across the road. The rest is sourced from local farms and agricultural businesses.
Climate neutrality
The facility can feed up to 2,500 cubic metres of biomethane per hour into the grid - enough to supply gas to roughly 5,000 to 6,000 households a year. Currently, the plant is operating at about 60 per cent capacity as it ramps up production.
“Green Logix’s plant is now the largest in Belgium injecting biomethane into a public network,” said Andries Gryffroy, chair of the board at Fluxys Belgium. “Biomethane is a key part of achieving climate neutrality, and Green Logix has shown the courage and perseverance to make it happen."
Direct injection of biomethane into high-pressure networks is already standard practice in countries such as Germany and France. Belgium has been slower to adopt the technology. According to Green Logix, the energy crisis triggered by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine spurred the country to catch up.
#FlandersNewsService | © BELGA PHOTO MARC DIRIX
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