Shell commissions its first German bio-LNG plant

After two years of construction, Shell Energy has commissioned its first German bio-LNG plant at the Cologne-Godorf refinery site.
With a capacity of 100,000 tonnes per year, it is the largest of its kind in Germany.
The low-CO2 fuel is sufficient to refuel 4,000 to 5,000 LNG lorries, 15 to 20 vehicles per day.
"We will endeavour to supply the plant with as much biomethane as possible," stated Felix Faber, managing director of Shell Germany, to energate on the sidelines of the opening. Shell obtains the biomethane for the liquefaction plant from the gas grid. To produce 100,000 tonnes of bio-LNG per year, 1.5 billion kWh of biomethane is required.
Shell is utilising the new partnership with Danish company Nature Energy for procurement, added Raoul Koenig, who is responsible for the project.
Initially, only German biomethane will be used.
Once the regulations on biomethane imports have been adapted, Shell is also hoping for imports from Denmark in order to minimise the use of natural gas in production.
So far, the German biomethane volumes are sufficient to run around 70% of production green, explained Koenig during the subsequent plant tour in Cologne.