Engineering and construction of reactors and plants for biohydrogen, methanol synthesis, shift reactors and ammonia cracking
BtX energy GmbH
Bindlach · KrefeldNew on Amplifa
About BtX energy
BtX energy GmbH is an engineering office and plant manufacturer for process engineering plants for generating renewable energy from biomass. Founded in 2020 as a spin-off from WS Wärmeprozesstechnik GmbH and the Institute of Hydrogen and Energy Technology at Hof University, the company develops and builds special reactors and plants, including steam reformers for hydrogen production from biogas, water-gas shift reactors for syngas conditioning, reactor modules for decentralised methanol synthesis and FLOX crackers for ammonia cracking. The processes include nickel-catalysed steam reforming, pressure swing adsorption, deep desulphurisation using activated carbon and the AutAllo gasification process. The plants are implemented as container and skid solutions with FLOX burners from WS Wärmeprozesstechnik. BtX has certified the first biogenic hydrogen in Europe for GHG quota trading and, together with the Schleupen family, operates a licensed plant for the production and filling of biohydrogen from slurry and manure at the Lefkeshof in Krefeld. Customers come from the biogas, agriculture, chemical and fuel cell mobility sectors. The headquarters is located in Bindlach near Bayreuth.
- Site
- Bindlach
- Processes
- Steam reforming of biogas into hydrogen (nickel-catalysed steam reforming), Pressure swing adsorption for gas purification/CO separation, Deep desulphurisation using activated carbon, AutAllo gasification process (clean gasification of biomass through adsorption of tars on, Methanol synthesis (decentralised, reactor modules up to 60 bar), Water-gas shift reactors for syngas conditioning, Ammonia cracking (FLOX cracker) for decentralised hydrogen production, Project and process engineering for process plants (concept, economic viability,
- Materials
- Biogas, Biomass, Wood (wood gas), Slurry, Manure, Ammonia, Hydrogen, Methanol
- Certificates
- Approval for biohydrogen filling plant, REDCert certification procedures, Safety and explosion protection concepts
- Industries
- Renewable energies / Hydrogen, Biogas, Agriculture, Chemical industry, Bioenergy, Fuel cell / mobility sector
- 01
Project development and overall concept
- 02
Economic viability analysis
- 03
Process engineering and process design
- 04
Approval and certification procedures (e.g. REDCert)
- 05
Plant and reactor construction (container and skid modules)
- 06
Installation and commissioning
- 07
Operation and filling of biohydrogen
Materials & Processes
Biogas / biomethane
Feed gas for nickel-catalysed steam reforming into green hydrogen.
Hydrogen
Product gas from reforming, shift reaction and ammonia cracking, also sold as a filling product.
Methanol
Target product of the decentralised synthesis from reformate, syngas and RFNBO hydrogen up to 60 bar.
Ammonia
Feedstock for decentralised cracking in the FLOX cracker up to 120 kg/h.
Nickel catalyst
Catalyst for the steam reforming of biogas into hydrogen.
Activated carbon
Adsorbent for deep desulphurisation and tar absorption in the AutAllo gasification process.
Wood gas / biomass
Syngas from biomass gasification as the input gas for the shift reactors.
Slurry and manure
Substrates of the biohydrogen project at the Lefkeshof in Krefeld.
Locations
Bindlach
DEHeadquarters / engineering office
- Lot size
- Individual plants and projects
- Materials
- Biogas, wood gas, ammonia, methanol
- Water-gas shift reactors (universal reactor 50, 100, 250 Nm³/h)
- FLOX cracker NH120 for ammonia cracking
- Methanol synthesis reactor module (standard skid with three reactors, up to 60 bar)
Krefeld (Lefkeshof)
DEPilot plant / biohydrogen filling plant
- Lot size
- Filling into cylinders and cylinder bundles
- Materials
- Biogas from slurry and manure, biohydrogen
- Steam reformer M50 (biogas reformer with FLOX burners)
- Filling plant for cylinders and cylinder bundles
Reactors & Plants
Inside the production
Industries
Processes & technical limits
| Processes | Tolerance | Max. part | Weight | Lot size | Materials |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Steam reforming of biogas into hydrogen (nickel-catalysed steam reforming)Engineering | – | – | – | – | Biogas, Biomethane, Slurry, Manure |
| Pressure swing adsorption for gas purification/CO separationEngineering | – | – | – | – | Reformate gas, Wood gas, Syngas |
| Deep desulphurisation using activated carbonEngineering | – | – | – | – | Biogas |
| AutAllo gasification process (clean gasification of biomass through adsorption of tars onEngineering | – | – | – | – | Biomass, Wood, Slurry, Manure |
| Methanol synthesis (decentralised, reactor modules up to 60 bar)Engineering | – | – | – | – | Reformate from biogas, Syngas from biomass gasification, RFNBO hydrogen |
| Water-gas shift reactors for syngas conditioningEngineering | – | – | – | – | Wood gas, Syngas from biomass or waste gasification |
| Ammonia cracking (FLOX cracker) for decentralised hydrogen productionEngineering | – | – | – | – | Ammonia (NH3) |
| Project and process engineering for process plants (concept, economic viability,Engineering | – | – | – | – | – |
| Plant engineering: construction of special reactors and plants, filling plant for biohydrogenAssembly | – | – | – | – | Hydrogen |
| Gas purificationEngineering | – | – | – | – | Biogas, Wood gas |
| Fischer-Tropsch synthesis (application of the shift reactors for fuel synthesis)Engineering | – | – | – | – | Syngas |
6 Anlagen & Maschinen
| Machine | Manufacturer / model | Quantity | Working area | Year built | Site |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Steam reformer (biogas reformer, e.g. M50 reformer) | WS Reformer GmbH (with FLOX burners from WS Wärmeprozesstechnik GmbH) M50 | – | – | – | Krefeld (BioH2Ref pilot plant) |
| Water-gas shift reactor (universal reactor) | BtX energy GmbH Standard sizes 50, 100 and 250 Nm³/h | – | 50, 100 and 250 Nm³/h wood gas | – | Bindlach |
| FLOX cracker for ammonia cracking | WS Reformer GmbH NH120 | – | up to 120 kg/h ammonia, approx. 235 Nm³/h hydrogen, firing capacity up to 700 kW | – | Bindlach |
| Filling plant for biohydrogen (cylinders and cylinder bundles) | BtX energy GmbH | 1 | – | – | Lefkeshof, Krefeld |
| FLOX burner | WS Wärmeprozesstechnik GmbH | – | – | – | – |
| Methanol synthesis reactor module (standard skid with three reactors) | BtX energy GmbH | – | up to 60 bar | – | Bindlach |
Additional services
Reference customers
Quality & Approvals
BtX accompanies projects from the first sketch to the operating plant, including approval procedures, safety and explosion protection concepts, and certification procedures such as REDCert. The pilot plant in Krefeld has been brought into operation with the relevant approval for biohydrogen production and filling.
| Evidence | Bindlach | Krefeld (Lefkeshof) |
|---|---|---|
| Approval for biohydrogen filling plant | ||
| REDCert certification procedures | ||
| Safety and explosion protection concepts |
History
- 2020
Spin-off from WS Wärmeprozesstechnik GmbH and the Institute of Hydrogen and Energy Technology at Hof University; website imprint since November 2020
- 2020
Member of the H2.B hydrogen alliance Bavaria since November 2020
- 2021
Member of the Hydrogen Network Nordostniedersachsen (H2.N.O.N) since September 2021
- 2022
Appointed as a supporter in the Team Energiewende by the Bavarian State Ministry of Economic Affairs
- 2022
Leon Müller-Noell takes over project management for the biogas reforming pilot plant in Krefeld and brings it into regular operation
- 2024
Member of the initiative Stop Climate Fraud
First biogenic hydrogen in Europe certified for GHG quota trading
Filling plant for biohydrogen from slurry and manure built and approved at the Lefkeshof in Krefeld