Over the course of its 40-year history, HRS Heat Exchangers has become a global leader in heat exchange technology for the AD and biogas sector, with systems for digester heating, pasteurisation, digestate concentration, biogas dehumidification, and sludge and exhaust gas heat recovery. HRS equipment is installed at more than 200 biogas plants worldwide, helping operators to improve their efficiency and overall operation.
Despite a number of challenges and uncertainties for the global biogas sector, this highly versatile technology which provides numerous benefits continues to deliver good news stories, such as the recent biogas plant in South Dakota which is delivering almost 780 m3/hr of biomethane. Last year HRS delivered its largest ever order for 384 heat exchanger modules (weighing a total of 126 tonnes) to a client in North America for a renewable energy project.
Closer to home, plans have been announced for ‘five of Spain’s largest biogas facilities’ in Castilla Leon, Aragon, and Murcia regions.1 Two are already under construction and once complete the five plants will produce almost 0.8 TWh of biomethane and 40,000 tonnes of CO2 each year. Such developments show how much untapped biogas potential remains in Spain, and the potential for the country to become a leader in European biomethane production.
“Global economic challenges mean that financing new plants can be difficult, even where governments are supportive,” comments Antonio Guillermo Jara Ponce, Systems Sales Manager at HRS Heat Exchangers. “One way to improve economic returns and maximize biogas production is to upgrade existing plants, and in particular maximise efficiency at every stage of the process.
“HRS produce a range of heat exchangers and complete systems for the biogas sector which recapture energy which would otherwise go to waste, utilizing it for activities including digester heating, digestate treatment, biogas dehumidification or exhaust gas heat recovery – often with much greater efficiency than alternative techniques.”
HRS Heat Exchangers’ wide range of products and systems for AD and biogas include:
- HRS DTI Series for digester heating
- HRS G Series for exhaust gas heat recovery
- HRS Biogas Dehumidification System (BDS), which removes water from biogas, protecting CHP engines from corrosion and cavitation
- HRS Digestate Pasteurization System (DPS) to produce digestate in compliance with EU, UK, US and other international regulations
- HRS Digestate Concentration System (DCS) which uses patented technology to significantly reduce the volume of digestate using much less energy than a dryer or batch evaporation
A number of these systems have been installed across the UK and Europe, as well as being utilised in anaerobic digestion projects as far afield as North America, Spain, Eastern Europe, and Australia and New Zealand.
To learn more about HRS Heat Exchangers’ wide range of heat transfer solutions and dedicated systems to boost efficiency and add value to AD and biogas installations, visit our stand at the Salón del Gas Renovable, at the Valladolid Fair in Valladolid Spain on 1-2 October 2025.
