A Finnish green hydrogen project, the 20MW Harjavalta plant by P2X Solutions, has co-produced the first molecules of synthetic methane in the country, as bioreactors supplied by Q Power undergo commissioning.
Q Power’s reactors use microbes that catalyse the reaction of carbon dioxide and hydrogen into methane, with water as a by-product, at near-ambient pressure and a temperature in the 50-70°C range.
As such, Q Power claims an 81% efficiency for its reactors to convert H2 and CO2 into methane, accounting for electrical input.
Hydrogen Insight has reached out to P2X Solutions to confirm the scale of e-methane that will be produced using hydrogen from Harjavalta, and the timeline for the Q Power reactors to be fully commissioned.
P2X Solutions has already signed offtake for most of the plant’s green hydrogen with companies that would likely use the H2 directly, such as Danisco Sweeteners to displace grey hydrogen in xylitol production.
However, synthetic methane can be blended directly into the gas grid, allowing offtakers to buy certificates in a “book and claim” system, rather than requiring a direct connection to those specific molecules, potentially opening up a wider array of customers.
Synthetic methane producer Turn2X had last month been the first to inject the gas into one country’s grid (Spain) and have a buyer in a different country (Germany) — claim offtake.
