Biological Power-to-Gas production from waste and wastewater – a Swiss Flagship Project
This case story – developed in the frame of IEA Bioenergy Task 37 (Energy from biogas) – shows Limeco’s biological Power-to-Gas (P2G) plant. It is Switzerland’s first industrial, full-scale P2G facility, representing a significant milestone. A maximum of 90 Nm³/h of CO₂ can be converted to 90 Nm³/h methane, which is additional to the 150 Nm³/hr methane directly coming from the biogas plant. Overall, the plant can produce up to 18 GWh of renewable methane per year.
The motivation behind this project was to harness synergies from existing facilities—including electricity generation, biogas, and sewage sludge treatment—to contribute flexible energy to a future-oriented CO2-neutral energy system. This distinctive approach fosters innovative integration, whilst unlocking potential for a more cohesive and adaptable energy production model. The Limeco site in Dietikon, Switzerland was ideal, as the wastewater treatment plant supplies sewage sludge and biogas, while electricity from the waste incineration plant is available at market prices for electrolysis, without grid fee. The developed business model envisions that the eight member municipalities of Limeco will purchase biomethane at cost price for a period of 15 years. Following a planning and construction phase, the P2G plant became operational in March 2022.
Power 2 Gas demonstration site at LIMECO, Dietikon/Switzerland.
