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References [6] http://www.syngasrefiner.com/SNG/agenda.asp
[1] Chandel M., Williams E.: Synthetic Natural Gas (SNG): [7] Bressan L., Ruggeri F., Romano L.: Substitute Natural
Technology, Environmental Implications, and Economics - Gas (SNG) Pilot Plant in China - A novel technology by
Climate Change Policy Partnership, Duke University, Foster Wheeler - Industrial Plants, May 2014
Durham, NC, 2009; available at: http://www.canadian [8] Ruggeri F., Romano L.: Methane from Syngas – Status
cleanpowercoalition.com/pdf/SNG3 of Amec Foster Wheeler VESTA Technology Development
[2] Ruggeri F.: The Novel Process VESTA for Substitute - Conference of the Italian Thermal Engineering Association,
Natural Gas Production - Gasification Technology ATI, 2014
Conference, Washington, 2012 [9] Higman C., Van Der Burgt M.: Gasification - Burlington,
[3] Mancuso L.: Biomass Gasification for the Production of MA, Gulf Professional Publishing Elsevier, 2003
SNG: a Practical Route Through Available and New [10] Domenichini R., Collodi G., Mancuso L., Hotta A.,
Technologies - ANIMP Conference: Renewables, Grid, Palonen J.: Biomass Gasification for the Production of
Energy Storage, 2nd July, 2015 Substitute Natural Gas (SNG): a Practical Route Through
[4] Stein R., Ray R.: Waste Utilisation to Produce Green Available and New Technologies - IChemE Advancing
Natural Gas - Gasification and Syngas Technologies Chemical Engineering Worldwide, 2012
Conference, Vancouver, 18th October, 2016 [11] Bressan L., Collodi G., Ruggeri F.: SNG VESTA.
[5] Ulmann’s Encyclopedia of Industrial Chemistry, Fifth Substitute Natural Gas (SNG): a Valuable Option for
completely revised edition, 1989; VHC Verlagsgesell schaft Countries Where Coal Resources are Prevailing - Coal to
mbH, D-6940 Weinheim, Federal Republic of Germany SNG, Urumqi, 2013

The Multipurpose Development of VESTA Technology

In recent years, industry and scientific research has gained interest in investigating and developing new methods
of natural gas production by exploiting alternative and more abundant resources, without losing the possibility to
achieve end user demand and needs. The conversion of syngas coming from coal or renewable biomass gasification
and biogas upgrading with a suitable methanation process scheme, which treats the produced syngas, provides an
alternative energy option for end demand, including residential heating, and associated applications like cooking and
transportation.
Several studies proved that Substitute Natural Gas (SNG) is an excellent energy carrier to be directly introduced into
existing natural gas networks. In 2006, Foster Wheeler (now Wood) developed a simple methanation process, called
VESTA, using catalyst provided by our partner in the technology, Clariant. A number of technical and economical
assessments of SNG production by means of VESTA technology were performed, also by means of a pilot plant
erected in Nanjing, China. Moreover, the commercial feasibility of the VESTA process integrated with a waste plasma
gasification will be established within the mid of 2018 by means of a Biomass-to-SNG demonstration plant in UK.
These two plants represent the multifaceted nature of VESTA catalytic methanation. Indeed, the most important feature
of the VESTA process is that it can handle syngas of wide qualities and coming from different sources such as coal,
biomass, petroleum coke, and solid waste.
In this article a summary of the technology as well as an overview of the state of development will be presented for the
various available applications including coal gasification and renewable process schemes.

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