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Biomethane: an overview
Biomethane or biogas is a renewable, combustible gas. We get our biomethane from the VanderHaak Dairy Anaerobic Digester in Lynden, WA. However from the digester the gas is impure; it contains unwanted amounts of CO2 and H2S. Once purified the gas can be used in many of the same applications as CNG (compressed natural gas). We have chosen to run Viking 32 on the purified bio-methane making it a vehicle powered by truely renewable resources.
 
To read our P3 Report on Biomethane click here

 
 
 

How its Made: Anaerobic Digester

Anaerobic digestion is a process by which bacteria and heat is used to break down bio-mass (grass clippings, leftover food or animal waste). This results in useable soil, heat and biogas. In Lynden where we get the biogas they are running it through a converted diesel engine to produce electricity. However they found that using the un-filtered biogas deteriorates the oil much faster so the oil is changed at higher intervals.
 
How its Made: Filtered Bio-Methane 

In 2005 the VRI wanted to find a process to filter the biogas and use it to fuel our vehicles that already ran on CNG. We also want to prove that it's economically feasible to filter the biogas and use it as a renewable fuel. We are currently in the process of refining our refinement process with the help of BP.

Where its Used: Viking 32