NIBIO researchers using biofilm-based processes to produce 96% purity biomethane

In Norway, carbon-based gases such as carbon dioxide (CO2) and carbon monoxide (CO) are often associated with pollution and climate change. But what if these gases could be turned into something useful instead – like clean-burning fuel? This is what NIBIO researchers have been working on. The goal of the collaboration has been to develop a new method for producing green biomethane, a sustainable alternative to natural gas.

Through five scientific papers, the researchers have documented how biofilm-based processes can be used to produce biomethane with over 96 percent purity. A biofilm is a layer of microorganisms that grow on surfaces. The microbes work together and form a kind of community that can process gases and turn them into methane. Among other things, the researchers experimented with adding selected microorganisms – a process known as bioaugmentation – to improve methane production. Among other things, the researchers experimented with adding selected microorganisms – a process known as bioaugmentation – to improve methane production. The researchers also examined the effect of ammonia, which usually inhibits methane production. In this study, they used a type of reactor called AnMBBR (Anaerobic Moving Bed Biofilm Reactor), and found that the biofilms were able to produce methane even at high ammonia concentrations. In another study, the researchers tested the biofilm method on syngas – a combination of hydrogen and carbon monoxide.