New technology from Sandcatch Solutions could revolutionize biogas production

The technology is inspired by the oil sector and has already gained traction in Norway.

Sandcatch Solutions has developed an innovative solution for removing sand and sediments from biogas reactors while they are in operation. The technology is based on “Coiled Tubing” methods from the oil sector, allowing operators to avoid long costly shutdowns for up to three months and reduce maintenance as less sand is pumped through the process plant. The result is increased efficiency and up to 20 percent higher gas production.

Behind the technology is Trygve Husveg, who, after ending his farming operations, earned a PhD in environmental technology at the University of Stavanger. Husveg wrote his master’s thesis for TotalEnergies and later founded the company Typhonix, which supplies “low-shear pumps”—pumps that do not damage the physical properties of liquids—to the oil and gas industry. Sandcatch is a spin-off from this company.

High level of interest and documented results
The technology has been developed in collaboration with several of Norway’s largest biogas producers and is already in commercial use, including by IVAR and Hadeland and Ringerike Waste Company (HRA), and has shown promising results. It is seen as both innovative and cost-saving, and interest in Europe is growing.

The solution offers several advantages:

• Increased production by up to 20 percent
  • Reduced costs by up to 80 percent
  • Reduced climate emissions by up to 1,000 tons of CO₂ equivalents per cleaning job
  • Improved HSE by eliminating the need for work in confined and hazardous tanks

A growing market with great potential
The biogas market is growing rapidly with players such as Shell, TotalEnergies and E.On taking on important roles in Europe, with an estimated annual growth of 32 percent until 2030, according to the International Energy Agency (IEA). There are currently 2.5 million biogas reactors globally that require this type of cleaning service. Production losses due to shutdowns in Europe alone are estimated at 500 million euros annually—equivalent to the energy needs of all households in Sweden.  

A Mobile Sand Removal Unit (MSRU) from Sandcatch can perform up to 16 cleaning jobs per year, and the technology is particularly targeted at biogas producers in high-cost countries, including both large facilities and smaller farm-based reactors.