153667 20251017144608.0 doi 10.1016/j.biombioe.2025.107871 sideral 143821 ART-2025-143821 eng Sanz-Monreal, P. Universidad de Zaragoza (orcid)0009-0000-7836-8903 Techno-economic assessment of a plant for the upgrading of MSW biogas to synthetic natural gas by thermocatalytic methanation 2025 Access copy available to the general public Unrestricted This study evaluates the techno-economic feasibility of a plant designed to produce synthetic natural gas (SNG) from biogas through direct catalytic methanation. The proposed facility is simulated with Aspen Plus® v14, using a comprehensive approach that covers the entire process, from biogas pretreatment to the production of the final product. The installation aims to contribute to the development of Power-to-Gas (Power-to-Methane) strategy for decarbonization. The plant, to be located in northeastern Spain, operates at an industrial scale with a production capacity of approximately 1100 Nm3/h of SNG, obtained from a 1425 Nm3/h biogas plant. The process includes five main stages to meet Spanish gas quality standards for grid injection: desulfurization, using amines for sulfur removal; electrolysis, for the generation of renewable hydrogen; thermocatalytic methanation, which combines CO2 from the biogas with hydrogen to enrich the methane content; dehydration, to meet SNG moisture specifications; and cogeneration, intended for the joint production of electricity and steam to meet the plant's energy demands. A detailed analysis of investment costs (CAPEX) and operational expenses (OPEX) is conducted, identifying the key factors influencing the project's profitability. The economic assessment indicates a total capital investment of 21.83 M€ and operational expenses nearly 8 M€ annually. The profitability threshold for the base scenario is estimated at 91.75 €/MWh, exceeding the 2023 natural gas market average in the Iberic peninsula (39.11 €/MWh), highlighting the current economic challenges of SNG production. info:eu-repo/grantAgreement/ES/AEI/PID2022-136947OB-I00 info:eu-repo/grantAgreement/ES/DGA/T43-23R info:eu-repo/grantAgreement/ES/MICINN/PRE2020-095679 info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccess by-nc-nd https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/deed.es info:eu-repo/semantics/article info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersion Mercader, V.D. Universidad de Zaragoza (orcid)0000-0003-0395-0143 Aragüés-Aldea, P. Universidad de Zaragoza (orcid)0000-0001-6452-4258 Durán, P. Universidad de Zaragoza (orcid)0000-0003-2898-1085 Francés, E. Universidad de Zaragoza (orcid)0000-0003-3181-195X Herguido, J. Universidad de Zaragoza (orcid)0000-0003-1940-9597 Peña, J.A. Universidad de Zaragoza (orcid)0000-0002-8383-4996 5005 555 Universidad de Zaragoza Dpto. Ing.Quím.Tecnol.Med.Amb. Área Ingeniería Química 5005 X Universidad de Zaragoza Dpto. Ing.Quím.Tecnol.Med.Amb. Proy. investigación HKA 198 (2025), 107871 [14 pp.] Biomass bioenergy BIOMASS & BIOENERGY 0961-9534 1517796 http://zaguan.unizar.es/record/153667/files/texto_completo.pdf Versión publicada 2017809 http://zaguan.unizar.es/record/153667/files/texto_completo.jpg?subformat=icon icon Versión publicada oai:zaguan.unizar.es:153667 articulos driver 2025-10-17-14:16:10 ARTICLE