Toray Industries has reported promising results from a year-long trial of its all-carbon CO2 and methane separation membrane, demonstrating a substantial reduction in moisture removal costs at a biogas production facility in Osaka Prefecture, Japan.
According to the company, the pilot project confirmed that moisture removal costs were approximately 70% lower than those associated with conventional biogas purification technologies. The trial was conducted at a sewage treatment plant, where biogas produced from organic waste must be purified into biomethane by removing both CO2 and water content.
As global energy security concerns and decarbonization efforts intensify, demand is rising for more efficient gas separation technologies. Biogas purification, in particular, faces technical challenges due to the presence of moisture, which degrades polymer- and zeolite-based membranes commonly used today.
Overcoming a key bottleneck in biogas purification
Toray’s all-carbon membrane addresses this limitation by maintaining chemical stability and separation performance even in wet gas environments.
Unlike conventional systems that require a costly pre-drying step using adsorbents, the new membrane can remove CO2 and moisture simultaneously, simplifying process design and reducing operational costs.
The company says the technology has potential applications beyond biogas upgrading, including natural gas purification, CO2 separation from industrial exhaust streams, and broader carbon capture, utilization and storage (CCUS) systems.
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By eliminating moisture sensitivity, the membrane could help improve scalability and economics across multiple gas processing sectors.
Toray plans to showcase the membrane technology at Nano Tech 2026, scheduled to take place in Tokyo from January 28 to 30, 2026. Part of the development was supported by funding from Japan’s New Energy and Industrial Technology Development Organization (NEDO).
The company said it will continue research and development efforts aimed at delivering technologies that support a carbon-neutral economy, positioning advanced gas separation as a key enabler of cleaner energy systems and industrial decarbonization.
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