Orbital Gas Systems Ltd, a wholly owned subsidiary of CUI Global, Inc., was recently awarded project approval for an open-invitation competition by French pipeline operator ENGIE. Initiated by ENGIE Lab Crigen, ENGIE Group’s research and operational expertise centre dedicated to gas, new energy sources and emerging technologies, the contest called for projects to identify innovative solutions for testing the quality of bio-methane.

Late last year, ENGIE, formerly GdF Suez, launched a public call for projects identifying solutions for analysing bio-methane to verify quality compliance before feeding it into the grid (Analyser Competition). Orbital submitted a proposal that entailed enhancements to its already-established GasPT natural gas analyser to meet requirements of the French bio-methane injection market.

This GasPT application is a critical move for French and other European nations to attain extremely challenging targets for a more renewable future energy mix; as many as 1,400 new bio-methane sites are envisaged to be installed in France alone over the next several years.

ENGIE’s call-for-projects cites the following objectives:

• ENGIE Lab Crigen is launching a call for innovative projects to identify analytic solutions for the biogas sector.
• The goal is to identify solutions for analysing bio-methane to meet the technical requirements of distributors and transporters within the framework of the energy transition. The innovations may be technological, financial or commercial or have to do with business models. The biogas industry is booming in Europe. In France, 18 sites currently inject bio-methane into distribution and transmission networks (2 sites for transport networks, 16 sites for distribution networks).
• One of the critical points in the chain is quality compliance monitoring for bio-methane so that it meets certain technical requirements before being injected into the network. These can be specific to the distributor and to the carrier. We need to identify solutions to meet the needs of the industry: high technical performance for low costs for both the solution and associated maintenance.

It is now recognised that few solutions are available to meet the needs now and in the future, such as measuring speed, capex, and opex (analysers and maintenance). The GasPT, with its proven record in gas networks, ease of installation, minimal running costs and maintenance is perfectly aligned with these requirements and is being increasingly recognised as the future-ready device to monitor and manage gas quality in a diversifying global gas market.

As part of the prize for winning a coveted slot in this open competition, ENGIE is promoting the collaborative innovation work they have completed with Orbital in their R&D facility, Crigen, in the St Denis suburb of Paris, France.

CUI Global’s president & CEO, William Clough, explains, “This award and subsequent collaboration with an energy producer as iconic as ENGIE further validates our leading-edge technology and its continuing application to environmentally-friendly solutions for renewable energy production, transportation and monitoring throughout Europe and beyond.”

Tags: CUI Global Inc., ENGIE, Orbital Gas Systems Ltd