Room: Yangtze 1
Date: Thursday, 21 May 2026
Time: 09:00 - 10:00 CEST
Session code 3CO.3
Assessing integrated biorefineries concepts
Techno-economic and Environmental Assessment of Bio-SNG and Fossil SNG Production Plants Across Scales and Geographic Contexts
Short Introductive summary
This study compares the techno-economic and environmental performance of BioSNG and fossil-based SNG production plants across three capacity scales and two geographical contexts (Colombia and the United States). The economic assessment was developed following AACE cost estimation standards, complemented by power-law correlations to scale CAPEX and OPEX across different plant sizes. A multi-criteria sensitivity analysis was applied to evaluate the influence of fiscal parameters, import duties, logistics, and capital cost factors on overall competitiveness. The environmental evaluation was integrated through a carbon-intensity indicator linking life-cycle CO2 emissions with the corresponding levelized cost of gas, enabling a combined interpretation of both dimensions. Preliminary trends suggest that fiscal conditions and plant scale exert the greatest influence on BioSNG competitiveness, while factors such as logistics and financing terms play secondary roles. The study contributes to renewable gas transition research by providing a reproducible framework that correlates economic scalability with environmental performance to inform sustainable energy policy design.
Presenter
Julian CARDONA
EAFIT University, Process, Energy and Enviromental Dpt., COLOMBIA
Presenter's biography
Julián A. Cardona is a chemical engineer (MSc Eng.) and engineering consultant in Colombia. He led the engineering and implementation of the country’s first biomethane-to-grid injection project. He is pursuing a PhD on evaluating biorefinery schemes.
Biographies and Short introductive summaries are supplied directly by presenters and are published here unedited
Co-authors:
M.L. Botero, Escuela de Ciencias Aplicadas e Ingeniería, Universidad EAFIT, Medellín, COLOMBIA
S. Builes, Escuela de Ciencias Aplicadas e Ingeniería, Universidad EAFIT, Medellín, COLOMBIA
A. Aristizabal, Escuela de Ciencias Aplicadas e Ingeniería, Universidad EAFIT, Medellín, COLOMBIA
S. Garcia-Freites, Centro de Investigación e Innovación en Energía y Gas, Promigas, Barranquilla, COLOMBIA
M. SanJuan, Centro de Investigación e Innovación en Energía y Gas, Promigas, Barranquilla, COLOMBIA
D. Acosta, Centro de Investigación e Innovación en Energía y Gas, Promigas, Barranquilla, COLOMBIA
Session reference: 3CO.3.4