SUBLIME Energie, a innovative startup emerging from the Energy Environment Processes Center (CEEP) at the prestigious engineering school Mines Paris-PSL, has introduced an innovative biogas liquefaction technology that is set to revolutionize the utilization of biogas. This new technology is designed to efficiently transport and pool biogas produced by multiple farms, thereby reducing initial investments and operating costs. This development is crucial as it opens access to untapped biomass resources, increases the resilience of farms and territories, and provides a decarbonisation pathway for the agricultural and transport sectors.
One of the significant challenges in the biogas sector has been the limited profitability of traditional technologies and the mismatch between potential biogas production sites and their consumption locations. However, SUBLIME Energie aims to address these challenges by offering a third biogas valorisation pathway, making positive-impact units profitable and suitable for low flow rates. The company’s technology is protected by two patents that cover the biogas liquefaction process directly on the farm and the centralised purification phase.
Following a successful proof of concept in 2020, SUBLIME Energie is now focusing on the technical maturation of its technology. The company is set to install its first demonstrator at the Gazéa methanisation site in Côtes-d’Armor, France’s Bretagne region, in 2025, with the first commercial series installation planned for the end of 2026. This groundbreaking technology not only helps to capture methane from livestock effluents, thereby reducing greenhouse gas emissions in the agricultural sector but also transforms it into bio-GNV, a mature fuel for heavy-duty mobility, reducing GHG emissions by 85% over the fuel’s lifecycle compared to diesel.
SUBLIME Energie’s technology also offers additional benefits such as the production of digestate, which can replace up to 95% of fossil fertilizers. This innovation provides farmers with additional income while reducing the initial investment and barriers to entry for methanisation. In addition, it creates local, non-relocatable jobs, strengthens the resilience of farms in remote areas, and enhances their attractiveness for future generations.
Bruno Adhemar, President and Co-Founder of SUBLIME Energie, expresses the company’s commitment to democratize profitable on-farm biogas production. With a focus on valorizing untapped biomass and decarbonizing farms that are far from the grid or small in size, the company’s field-adapted approach also aims to address current social and environmental crises.
SUBLIME Energie’s groundbreaking technology is a major milestone in the renewable energy sector and signifies a step forward in the quest for sustainable agricultural practices. For more news and technical articles from the global renewable industry, readers are encouraged to explore the latest issue of Energy Global magazine.