Revolutionizing landfill gas into RNG through cryogenic distillation

WAGABOX®, a breakthrough landfill gas recovery and upgrading technology, is the result of ten years of R&D at Air Liquide and Waga Energy. It combines two upgrading processes: membrane filtration and cryogenic distillation.

Membrane filtration removes the carbon dioxide (CO2) and impurities from landfill gas. The gas is then cooled in a cryogenic vessel to isolate the methane (CH4) from the oxygen (O2) and nitrogen (N2).

Regardless of the composition of the raw biogas, WAGABOX® produces Renewable Natural Gas meeting grid-injection standards. WAGABOX® successfully recovers 90% of the methane contained in landfill gas, for energy yields that are three times higher than solutions where the gas is burned to generate electricity.

RNG is transported and stored using existing gas infrastructure.

The WAGABOX® technology is exclusively availiable from Waga Energy and protected by patents worldwide. It is the benchmark solution for landfill gas upgrading.

The WAGABOX® technology can upgrade landfill gas containing up to 30% Nitrogen.

 

  • Coupling membrane filtration for CO2 removal and cryogenic distillation for N2 and O2 removal.
  • The result of 10 years of R&D within Waga Energy and Air Liquide.
  • An exclusive process protected by 6 patents worldwide.

• Transforming pollution into energy

Waste is a major source of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, as methane is a much more powerful greenhouse gas if compared to carbon dioxide, which is why some countries require landfill operators to collect and flare their gas.  Worldwide, landfills are responsible for about 5% of global GHG emissions.

Today, millions of cubic meters of energy-containing gas are simply lost every hour around the globe.

Waga Energy is putting a stop to this massive-scale waste by transforming a source of pollution into clean, local, and renewable energy.

• The biogas upgrading challenge

Landfill gas is a complex mixture between methane, carbon dioxide, air (oxygen and nitrogen), and impurities. Methane recovery is extremely challenging due to the air in the gas. In addition, the gas composition and flow rate are highly variable and unpredictable: methane concentration may fluctuate daily because of weather conditions (temperature, humidity).

The biogas upgrading systems used for anaerobic digestion plants (biomethane production from agricultural or agro-industrial waste) are inefficient for landfills. Therefore, most landfills simply release their gas into the atmosphere or torch it to avoid greenhouse gas emissions.

Landfill gas may also be burned in Combined Heat and Power (CHP) plants. However, the energy yield is low and the heat is rarely usable as landfills are generally far from urban areas.

Bruno Léchevin, President, Ademe

” WAGABOX® is one of the greatest achievements of Invest in the Future (the French government’s economic stimulus program administered by French energy agency Ademe). It is an highly-innovative project that responds to the three pillars of sustainable development: social, environmental, and economics. It is also a prime example of France’s position of leadership in gas engineering”.