It is high time to vigorously develop bio-natural gas

The Russia-Ukraine conflict has triggered a global energy crisis. In order to ensure the safe and stable supply of gas in our country, paying attention to the development of biological gas and making up for the gas supply gap are important measures to ensure that "the rice bowl of energy must be in our own hands", and have very important strategic significance to improve our gas security capability.

Recently, the Asian natural gas supply market has shown a trend of increasing bids and decreasing volumes. China's natural gas imports mainly liquefied natural gas. At present, Australia is the largest source of China's LNG imports, accounting for 40% of the total imports. In the next 10 years, it is expected that the import of natural gas from Russia will hardly exceed 15% of China's total import. The United States has become the world's largest exporter of liquefied natural gas, and recently, Australia has restricted the export of liquefied natural gas, and the uncertainty of the international natural gas market has increased significantly due to the impact of geopolitics.

With the promotion of China's carbon peak carbon neutral goal, the amount of natural gas has increased greatly, resulting in rising demand and external dependence, and the difficulty of safety protection has increased sharply. According to the data of the National Development and Reform Commission, China's natural gas consumption in 2021 is 372.6 billion cubic meters, and the external dependence is as high as 45%. Although China is increasing the development of natural gas, the increase in production still lags behind the increase in consumption. Moreover, with the development of our economy, the demand for natural gas will continue to increase.

According to the National Energy Administration is expected that by 2025 China's natural gas consumption will reach 430 billion to 450 billion cubic meters, by 2030 will reach 550 billion to 600 billion cubic meters, the gap is expected to be as high as 200 billion cubic meters. Therefore, while stabilizing domestic production and import channels, it is necessary to open up gas sources through multiple channels. If the use of livestock and poultry manure, crop straw and other organic waste to develop biological gas, by 2030 can achieve about 50 billion cubic meters of development, not only can make up for the shortage of natural gas supply, provide low-carbon energy, but also reduce methane emissions, promote carbon neutrality. We should prepare for the rainy day and be prepared for the crisis, not only from the perspective of ecological environmental protection, but also from the perspective of ensuring national energy security to attach great importance to the development of biological gas.

■■ Development of biological natural gas

Great significance

Biogas is purified from biogas and is known internationally as biomethane gas or renewable natural gas. Biogas is a combustible mixture of organic matter produced by microbial decomposition under anaerobic (anaerobic) conditions, while eliminating pathogens in it, and ultimately leaving nutrient-rich fertilizer as a byproduct. The main components of biogas are methane and carbon dioxide, the methane content is about 60%, purified to more than 93% is biological natural gas, the calorific value is close to natural gas, can be used as car gas or pipeline gas, high economic value.

In recent years, Europe and North America are accelerating the development of biological gas, and international energy giants have also accelerated their entry into the field of biological gas. Bp paid $4.1 billion for a U.S. producer of renewable natural gas on Oct. 17. Currently, the United States has become the world's largest biomethane market. Between 2020 and 2021, Europe's biomethane production will increase by 40%, with 87% of it connected to urban gas networks. Biomethane consumption in the EU is expected to account for 30-40% of total gas consumption by 2050.

According to the "Double carbon" Development Report of China's biogas industry, the amount of organic waste such as agricultural, rural, urban and industrial wastewater that can be used for biogas production in China is about 4.27 billion tons, 360 million tons and 6.54 billion tons, respectively, and the potential to produce biogas exceeds 500 billion cubic meters. It is estimated that by 2030, the biogas production potential can be obtained by about 169 billion cubic meters, achieving a reduction of 300 million tons of carbon dioxide equivalent.

China is a big country of breeding industry, and a large amount of livestock and poultry manure has become a difficult problem of rural environmental governance. The development of biological natural gas is the main way of harmless and resource utilization of organic waste such as livestock and poultry manure. In recent years, the use of animal manure to develop bio-natural gas in China has achieved good results. For example, Shandong Minhe Animal Husbandry annually treats 450,000 tons of chicken manure, 300,000 cubic meters of sewage, generates 20 million tons of electricity annually, produces 50,000 tons of solid organic fertilizer, 160,000 tons of water-soluble fertilizer, and 15 million cubic meters of biological natural gas, and successfully registered CDM projects in the United Nations and obtains 1 million U.S. dollars in income, with significant environmental, social and economic benefits. On October 1, the national standard "biological gas" was officially implemented, laying the technical foundation for accelerating the industrialization of biological gas in China.

However, there is still a huge gap between the amount of bio-natural gas development and the amount of resources in China. The reason is that the industry positioning is not clear, the competent department is not clear; The second is the lack of systematic policy design, it is difficult to get through the blocking points and difficulties in the industrial chain; Third, the mechanism of "who polluts who pays" in the breeding industry has not been implemented in place, resulting in difficult raw material collection and high cost; Fourth, the lack of effective market pulling mechanism and mature business model, the industry development is slow. The current gas management system barriers limit the marketization and promotion of biological gas, and the completed projects can not enter the city gas pipeline network, and it is difficult to achieve large-scale development. Fifth, the adjustment of agricultural planting structure is not in place, the market sales channels of biogas residue and biogas slurry are not smooth, especially the excessive antibiotic residues of poultry manure affect the return to the field; Sixth, there is still a gap with the international advanced level in low temperature fermentation, tank capacity gas production rate and automation level.

To realize the high quality development of biological gas is an effective measure to improve China's energy security and promote the green and low-carbon transformation of natural gas industry. At the same time, it is also an inherent requirement to promote the high-quality development of the aquaculture industry and improve the rural living environment, and an important starting point for implementing the rural revitalization strategy and promoting rural green development. At present, the price of LNG has risen, and the cost advantage of biological gas has been highlighted. In particular, the establishment of the domestic carbon market provides a platform for bio-gas to achieve green and low-carbon market-oriented value, and the biogas and bio-gas industry has ushered in a rare historical development opportunity.

■ Scientific system and mechanism

And policy system to be built

At present, the conditions for large-scale, industrial and industrial development of biological gas have been basically mature, and the key is to further improve regulations and policies, break down industry barriers, and scientifically build institutional mechanisms and policy systems to promote the sustainable development of biological gas.

First, we must clearly position and implement the "two-wheel drive" strategy. First of all, it should be clear that biological gas is an indispensable part of China's modern energy system, and the strategic role of biological gas in realizing the "dual carbon" goal, promoting the low-carbon energy transformation and ensuring energy security should be positioned at a higher level and with a broader vision. Secondly, it is necessary to clarify the leading departments, do a good job of top-level design and medium - and long-term planning, implement environmental protection and low-carbon energy, "two-wheel drive" development strategy, implement the supervision and assessment mechanism, and promote biomass natural gas to enter the fast lane of sustainable development as soon as possible.

Second, we will speed up the revision and improvement of the Renewable Energy Law. In order to build a green modern energy system as the goal, highlight the role of biological gas emission reduction of carbon dioxide and methane, clear green electricity, green gas quota system, biogas power generation and biogas grid connection enjoy full protection of the purchase policy, to ensure that biogas power generation subsidies in place in time. As soon as possible, biogas and biogas will be included in the carbon trading system.

Third, strengthen the gas top design and planning. Clarify the strategic positioning of biological gas in the future gas energy, and realize the coordinated development of natural gas and biological gas. It is necessary to jump out of the limitation of developing biological gas only in the field of rural energy, and plan the development of biological gas industry with industrial thinking to make up for the shortage of natural gas industry and provide clean energy for urban gas and vehicles.

Fourth, we should build a diversified gas supply system. The integrated development of natural gas and renewable gas is an international trend. Under the premise of ensuring safe supply, we should conform to the historical trend and trend, actively promote the low-carbon transformation of the natural gas industry, and build a multi-gas complementary, synergistic, clean and low-carbon multi-gas supply system with natural gas as the main part and renewable gas such as biological natural gas and hydrogen as the supplement. Central enterprises and urban pipe network enterprises should take the initiative to assume the responsibility of promoting biological natural gas, the competent authorities should be in accordance with the renewable energy power generation quota management measures, as soon as possible to introduce the relevant policies of biological natural gas quota indicators, the implementation of quota incentives and penalties, to provide market space and impetus for the promotion of biological natural gas.

Fifth, it is necessary to establish a policy system to promote the sustainable development of biological gas. Over the years, China's biological gas development is slow, the root cause is that the support policy is not systematic, not grounded gas, resulting in difficult policy implementation, difficult to effect. Therefore, on the one hand, we should optimize and improve the existing policy system, abandon the reconstruction of light management thinking, supplement the short board of the industrial chain, and focus on subsidizing the terminal links and products, so as to stimulate the development of the entire industry. On the other hand, the breeding industry should focus on "promoting the utilization of livestock and poultry waste resources in the whole county in non-livestock counties" and standard farms (communities), truly implement the pollutant compensation treatment mechanism of "who pays for polluting" and "who treats who benefits" of livestock and poultry waste, strengthen the supervision of environmental protection law enforcement, and build a market-oriented treatment mechanism for livestock and poultry waste. At the same time, it should be clear that biogas and biological gas projects enjoy preferential policies for agricultural facility land and agricultural production electricity. In addition, it is necessary to scientifically plan demonstration projects according to local conditions, establish a complete industrial chain and benefit chain, form a number of biological gas development models suitable for China's northern and southern climates, which can be replicated and promoted, and strengthen the construction of rural energy service system to meet the needs of the development of biological gas industry in the new era.

Sixth, we must seek truth from facts and choose the development model of biological natural gas. China has a vast area and great climate difference between the north and the south, so the development model should be selected according to local conditions around urban gas, vehicle gas, township residents and farmers' gas supply. In terms of the scale of development, it should be large and small. In the promotion and sales of appropriate network is network, appropriate bottle is bottle; In the development mode, we should jump out of the rural energy limitations, adhere to the interaction between urban and rural areas, and the interaction between industry and agriculture, and take the city with the countryside and plan the development of biological natural gas with industrial thinking. Promote the sale of biological natural gas to urban gas pipe networks and vehicle gas, feed rural energy with high added value, and achieve a win-win situation between urban and rural areas.

Seven to smooth biogas residue, biogas liquid sales channels. To achieve high quality development of biological natural gas, it is a prerequisite to solve the export of biogas residue and biogas liquid market. Biogas residue and biogas slurry are high-quality organic fertilizers, but whether farmers accept them depends on the added value of agricultural products, otherwise it is better to use chemical fertilizers without increasing income. It is necessary to accelerate the adjustment of planting structure, increase the proportion of organic agricultural products, provide sales space for biogas residue and biogas liquid, improve brand awareness and added value of agricultural products, and promote farmers' income. The agricultural management department should effectively promote the transformation and upgrading of the aquaculture industry, reduce the amount of antibiotics in the aquaculture industry, and reduce the residue of antibiotics in the biogas slurry. In the cold winter in the north, it is necessary to solve the contradiction between perennial farming and seasonal planting, improve the processing and storage capacity of biogas residue and biogas liquid commercial fertilizer, and ensure the normal operation of biogas projects in winter.

Eighth, we should promote the high-quality development of biological natural gas with scientific and technological progress. We will carry out technological research on low-temperature fermentation in northern China, increase the gas production rate of tanks, and develop new processes, new materials, and new equipment for biogas projects, introduce and absorb advanced biogas fermentation technologies from abroad, improve relevant technical standards and norms, and promote new technologies and models such as "Internet of Things +", remote online monitoring, and intelligent regulation.