• • • RENEWABLE TECHNOLOGY • • • True Grid
How Mitsubishi Electric collaborated with Orbital Gas Systems to redevelop its biomethane gas-to-grid injection unit
atural gas remains a vital energy resource, however its non-renewable nature and geographical extraction limitations have been thrust into the spotlight in recent years following the global energy crisis. Whilst sourcing a direct alternative at scale is not feasible, supplementing supply at a local level with biomethane is becoming an increasingly popular solution.
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Sourced from organic material such as farm or food waste, biomethane offers similar thermal characteristics to natural gas and can be produced almost anywhere in the world. However, before grid integration into the network, the feed gas produced during the anaerobic digestion process needs to be verified to ensure it comes with Gas Safety Management Regulations. This is done using specialist integration units, such as those manufactured by Orbital Gas Systems – one of the UK’s largest system integrators in the energy industry. “Central to the biomethane industry is the green transformation of gas supplies, a commitment firmly anchored in the principles of sustainability,”
begins Chris Williams, Head of Engineering and Digital Technology at Orbital. “Recent fluctuations in the broader energy market have highlighted the significance of biomethane in enhancing the reliability of gas supplies.” With growing customer demand for more efficient, easy to use and sustainable gas distribution systems, the team at Orbital took the decision to redesign its original biomethane grid entry unit from the ground up. “We’ve worked on a lot of national infrastructure projects, so we have a good understanding of balancing what the DNOs want with the needs of our own customers – whether that is the plant owner or an integration company managing the project on behalf of the end-customer,” Chris continues.
At the heart of any grid entry unit lies the control system, which is not only responsible for the overall quality of the gas but, among other functions, the flow measurement and propane enrichment. “The PLC and HMI in our original control system were functional, however they also presented some
operational and service challenges that we wanted to rectify with our new grid entry unit,” adds Chris. “For example, it used a physical monitor which could only be accessed on-site, or via remote access software. This made it very difficult for more than one engineer or operator to access the data without getting in each other’s way. What’s more, it was becoming increasingly difficult to find engineers familiar with the technology and the security of the supply chain was starting to come into question.”
When it came to developing a new control system, Orbital, turned to industrial automation specialists, Mitsubishi Electric. Chris continues: “We first started working with Mitsubishi Electric in 2018 as part of a telemetry system we were developing. Whilst that particular project didn’t make it to market, it did broker a really productive relationship between Orbital and Mitsubishi Electric. As a result, the Mitsubishi Electric i-QR PLC and GOT HMI have become our preferred control system of choice, including on our new biomethane grid entry unit.”
34 ELECTRICAL ENGINEERING • NOVEMBER 2024
electricalengineeringmagazine.co.uk
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