FROM SOUTH TYROL, AN IMPETUS FOR THE GREEN REVOLUTION: TECHNOLOGIES FOR BIOMETHANE AND BIOHYDROGEN

From the construction of the first biogas plant to the current development of new technologies for biomethane and biohydrogen: innovation and sustainability have been constant threads in the entrepreneurial journey of Michael Niederbacher. CEO of both TerraX and BiHcon, based in the province of Bolzano/Bozen, he also serves as Vice-President of the EBA - European Biogas Association.

“I’ve nurtured the idea of generating electricity from manure and converting agricultural and industrial waste into fertiliser since 1986, when, as a 13-year-old, I first saw an anaerobic digestion plant in South Tyrol/Südtirol,” he recalls. 

PLANT DESIGN AND CONSTRUCTION 

For his dissertation in agricultural economics in Vienna/Wien, he conducted a feasibility study for the construction of a biogas consortium plant in his hometown of Campo Tures/Sand in Taufers, in the heart of the Aurine Alps/Aurine Alpen. The project became a reality in 2001, involving 74 local farmers. It remains operational today and will soon be converted into a biomethane plant.

In the years that followed, Niederbacher founded his first company, through which he built 225 plants in 14 countries worldwide. He later chose to sell the business to focus, from 2019 onwards, on a new entrepreneurial group comprising the two companies he now leads as CEO: TerraX, based in Brunico/Bruneck, a key player in the design and implementation of biohydrogen plants, later expanding into biomethane; and BiHcon, headquartered in Varna/Vahrn, dedicated to the actual construction of these plants.

His vision is clear: to develop innovative technologies in the biomethane and biohydrogen sectors. “A paradigm shift in this direction is now unavoidable, especially in light of the goal of achieving carbon neutrality by 2050.” 

HOW BIOMETHANE IS PRODUCED 

Biomethane is obtained by purifying biogas: once the CO₂ is removed, the resulting methane has the same chemical properties as natural one and can be fed directly into the grid. 

“The production, incentivised by new European regulations, must guarantee a reduction of at least 80% in carbon dioxide emissions compared to fossil fuels. To achieve this target, the latest plants no longer rely on traditional feedstocks such as maize silage (a livestock fodder produced by chopping the entire maize plant, editor’s note), but instead use mainly agricultural by-products and livestock effluents, including straw, citrus pulp, maize stalks, olive pomace, manure and slurry”.

A solution that, in addition to improving sustainability and circularity, also reduces the environmental impact of spreading effluents directly into the environment.

BIOMETHANE: EVERY ASPECT OF INNOVATION 

Compared to using silage maize, producing biomethane from agricultural waste and livestock effluents demands a higher level of technological sophistication, as Michael Niederbacher, holder of more than 30 patents, explains: “We’ve therefore developed several innovations to make the process smoother and more efficient.”

• First, an advanced thermo-mechanical pre-treatment system that improves the digestibility by bacteria of even the most resistant materials, such as straw. This is achieved using specialised mills and disintegrators that act on the cellular structure of the biomass. “This accelerates degradation and increases plant output”.     
   
• The second area focuses on optimising the fermenters. “For this, we have patented two different technologies, Tool Box and Spritz Mix. The first is a command window that allows for monitoring and maintenance of the fermentation tanks without having to interrupt the process, while the second is a special nozzle that, by humidifying the tanks from above with liquids, prevents the formation of crusts that could slow down or impair fermentation.”
   
• The third field of research and development concerns the valorisation of digestate, the by-product of the anaerobic digestion of organic matter, which can be reused as a biofertilizer as a perfect example of circular economy, promoted by the European Union. “In addition to the traditional liquid version, used to fertilise fields, we have patented an innovative pelletised biofertiliser. This can be used in organic farming but can also be sold in supermarkets for home gardens. It is a way to replace chemical fertilisers, which are still largely produced from fossil gas, and to contribute to the decarbonisation of the agricultural sector,” Michael Niederbacher points out.
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Since 2024, his group has built two biogas plants, one in Porto Tolle (Rovigo) and another in Grottole (Matera), with five more either under construction or in the planning stages, located in Sicily, Campania, Puglia, Lombardy, and Veneto. 
 

BIOHYDROGEN AND BIOMETHANATION 

Alongside biomethane, the South Tyrolean entrepreneur has also developed a proprietary technology for the production of biohydrogen, which is currently derived from fossil gas. “It is an interesting solution because we are able to maintain production at a constant cost, unlike the electrolysis process, which is subject to fluctuations in the electricity market”.
He adds: “We are also aiming to produce biohydrogen through wood gasification (a thermochemical process that converts wood into syngas, a synthesis gas containing hydrogen, editor’s note). We have some projects in the permitting phase, but we are also awaiting specific incentives.” 

At the same time, the group is working on the launch of a new start-up, “OceanX”, which will specialise in biological methanation, a process that combines CO₂ from fermentation with hydrogen produced from renewable sources to generate synthetic methane. This can be stored within the existing network and used at a different time from when it is produced, when demand increases, for instance, in winter. 

THE EU STRATEGY ON BIOMETHANE AND BIOFERTILISERS 

All these solutions are part of a broader strategic framework that Niederbacher knows well, thanks to his active role within the European Biogas Association. “For the past six years, I have been working to advance the energy transition through biogas and biomethane. My position as Vice-President has just been renewed for a third and final term, as set out by the association’s statutes”.

The target set by the European Commission is ambitious: “to produce 35 billion cubic metres of biomethane by 2030, rising to at least 161, and according to some forecasts, even 190 billion cubic metres per year by 2050. This would be achieved through three main pathways: anaerobic digestion, wood gasification, and biological methanation”. 

European natural gas consumption in 2030 is expected to reach around 250–300 billion cubic metres annually. “Reaching 35 billion cubic metres by the end of the decade, compared to the current 23 billion, would mean covering around 15% of Europe’s gas consumption with locally produced renewable gas, significantly reducing our dependence on fossil fuels.” 

Naturally, all of this requires regulatory support from the European Union. “My goal over the next three years is to help shape new legislative frameworks, because without clear rules and incentives, it will be impossible to achieve such ambitious figures. In this respect, we are working towards setting a European target for biofertiliser production, another crucial element in the decarbonisation of agriculture, and considering financial incentives to help establish the supply chain before enabling it to stand on its own in the long term.” 

“My driving force,” Michael Niederbacher concludes, “comes from a desire to protect our planet and safeguard nature for future generations. I firmly believe that this world does not belong to us; we have merely borrowed it from our ancestors.” 
 

Article written by Emanuele Bompan and Maria Carla Rota 

This Blog is an editorial project developed by Ecomondo with Renewable Matter