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Read moreHome > Capabilities > Consulting > Technology and process equipment > VESTA methanation
SNG production can provide an efficient, robust and viable solution of natural gas production.
Wood licenses methanation units for substitute natural gas (SNG) production based on the VESTA patented technology developed by Foster Wheeler, supported by customised process design packages, tailored to our customers' requirements.
SNG production can provide an efficient, robust and viable solution of natural gas production. The conversion of syngas provides an alternative, low carbon-impact energy option for end demand, due to the easy connection of production plants to existing natural gas networks.
Wood's VESTA methanation technology uses catalyst provided by Clariant, Wood’s partner in SNG technology. The technology is based on established equipment, such as fixed bed reactors and shell and tubes heat exchangers, and the catalyst has been extensively tested by Clariant on a full industrial scale.
The advantages of VESTA are the full flexibility to balance both capital and operative expenditures, and the adaptation of any source of syngas, such as coal/biomass/waste gasification, biogas upgrading and power-to-gas application. In conventional SNG processes, the risk of runaway in the methanation reaction is very high. VESTA avoids that risk with the presence of carbon dioxide (CO2) and water, which act as temperature dampers.
In contrast to other available technologies, VESTA technology involves a once-through process and the CO2 removal is performed downstream of the methanation reactors rather than before the methanation section, so there is no need for product recycle compressors. This strategy eliminates compressor consumption and installation costs.
The VESTA process can produce up to 250,000 Nm3/h of SNG in a single train without a recycle compressor and without risk of temperature runaway or metal dusting.
Within the clean energy sector Wood has developed process design packages for SNG production from biomass gasification and waste gasification. VESTA methanation units provide advantages during construction as they can be modularised easily to ensure overall reduction in assembly.
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