Desulfurization and reduction of siloxanes in biogas - Case Study

Case Study: MCFC Project at Cetagua (Mataró - Spain)

Reducing the carbon footprint of our society is essential. This can be achieved by capturing and confining anthropogenic CO2 emissions, as well as by replacing fossil fuels with renewable fuels.

MCFCs (Molten Carbonate Fuel Cells) are the only ones capable of doing both. Thanks to their principle of operation, CO2 can be extracted from a gas stream on the cathode side and fuels such as biogas can be converted into electricity on the anode side. However, the degradation caused by the pollutants present in these gases must be addressed. 

In this sense the project "MCFC catalyst and stack component degradation and lifetime: Fuel Gas Contaminant effects and Extraction strategies" aims to tackle this problem from two sides:

1) the investigation of the mechanisms of poisoning caused by fuels and to determine precisely the MCFC tolerance limits for long-term endurance;

2) optimization of fuel and gas cleaning to achieve adapted degrees of purification according to the operating conditions and MCFC tolerance.

CETaqua (Centro Tecnológico del Agua), a company belonging to the Suez group was involved in the project, where one of its main objectives was to test on a pilot scale, alternative adsorbent materials to activated carbons that were being conventionally used in most wastewater treatment plants (WWTP).