As a global community, we are in need of viable, renewable alternative energy sources to replace fossil fuels. One of the most successful options is biogas, a fuel source derived from organic waste of various kinds. This article explores how we at Jacobi Group, a company that’s passionate about protecting our planet, supports the biogas industry and its growth, looking at what we offer currently as well as our future innovations to the market.

At Jacobi, sustainability comes first. We often talk about how we cannot operate in a world that is failing, and so we take every measure we can to ensure we are doing all in our power to protect the planet and its resources. We believe that doing right by the environment is the only option and so supporting renewable energy industries makes perfect sense.

Biogas itself is not new (in fact its use dates back centuries), however, in recent years there has been a push to develop infrastructure around the industry further as part of the move towards different energy sources. This is a development we are keen to support.

How Jacobi Works With Biogas and Biomethane Producers 
When working with organic waste, of any kind, it is unsurprising that contaminants will be present. Biogas producers commonly use activated carbon as a method to remove said contaminants.

Depending on the feedstock or source, raw biogas contains many contaminants, the most significant being hydrogen sulphide, siloxanes, terpene, and ammonia (though there are other volatile organic compounds, and organic and inorganic impurities there too). Removal of these is essential. Some will degrade equipment, causing costly repairs and downtime for producers, while some are highly toxic and must not be emitted into the environment. Contaminants can also hugely reduce the energy content of the biogas, thus making it less effective.

Expanding Our Capabilities and Capacity
In late 2025, the build for our new reactivation plant in France began. Known as JSV (Jacobi Services Vierzon), the new site will significantly increase our reactivation capabilities in terms of capacity (which will increase to 10,000MT per year) and materials we can reactivate.

“JSV is a response to the needs of the European industry, whether it’s energy sector (biogas) or environmental (air/water purification). Once online, our new plant will provide comprehensive support to customers across Europe seeking a professional and turn-key solution,” said Usman Saeed, EMEA Manufacturing Director.

 JSV is strategically positioned in the centre of France, adjacent to our existing plant with a network of strong logistics partners. This location will make working with Jacobi simple and easy, offering smoother coordination and removing several administrative barriers.

Sustainability and protection of the planet and its resources have been at the heart of the project, from the very inception of the idea right up to the build.

“Our business is purification and filtration, which is essential in human health and environmental protection,” Usman continued. “Our customers are those who are constantly improving their environmental impact or fighting a specific issue in their water or air streams. They need rapid and sustainable solutions with minimum impact on the environment.”

For biogas producers specifically, we will be able to reactivate spent carbon highly loaded with sulphur, a process that was inaccessible to the biogas market previously. Here we will also be able to reactivate carbon loaded with PFAS, fully destroying these robust, and so-called forever, toxins.

When it comes to the build itself, several extra measures are being taken to ensure our impact on the planet continues to be a positive one. One excellent example of such initiatives would be the wetland restoration. Here we are restoring wetlands in Vierzon amounting to two times the surface area of JSV, protecting the local ecology and environment for years to come.

A total of 5,000 m³ of topsoil which would otherwise have been disposed of in landfill is being used in the restoration works, limiting waste and contributing to our aim to operate in the most sustainable manner possible. This reuse has saved 52 tonnes of CO₂ emissions, the equivalent of driving a petrol car six times around the Earth.

Secondly, the majority of construction work has been allocated to regional contractors, reinforcing the local industrial network. When the plant is up and running, we will continue with this philosophy, working with regional contractors repeatedly for maintenance, energy supply, and personnel needs.

Closing the Circle – Improving Our Full Cycle Solution
As of 2028, we will be able to reactivate biogas customers’ spent carbon. Currently, we offer a full cycle solution in that we provide each and every step of the process, from initial testing, the delivery of the carbon and filter, technical support and all media, right through to handling the used carbon at the end of its life and its safe disposal.

As of 2028, when JSV will be fully online, we will be able to offer reactivation of the spent carbon rather than safe disposal, thus closing the gap and bringing the gas treatment in the biogas industry closer to a fully circular economy.

By choosing reactivated carbon rather than virgin, emissions of greenhouse gases are lowered. When the carbon footprint is lowered, it fulfils both our sustainability goals as well as the those of the customer.

Alongside sustainability improvements, there is a significant cost benefit for customers too. Not only is the cost of the carbon itself lower, but waste handling costs are eliminated.

AddSorb™ OX Series Coconut-Based Pellets 
At the start of 2024 our OX Series carbon pellets were launched and are now in use in biogas plants in the USA to remove hydrogen sulphide. Traditionally, pellets would be made from coal-based carbon, however, as part of our drive to move toward renewable resources, Jacobi developed a pellet made entirely from coconut shell-based activated carbon.

Our AddSorb™ OX Series pellets, which have been well received by biogas and biomethane producers, offer all the operational benefits of a high-performance pellet with the sustainability benefits too. Primarily, this product is successful because they are extremely effective. These pellets are doped activated carbon, meaning an active substance is incorporated into the activated carbon matrix during manufacture. As a result, the entire pore volume is available for adsorption, making them particularly well-suited to the removal of hydrogen sulphide, the combined removal of volatile organic compounds and hydrogen sulphide, and for use in demanding odour control applications.

If you’d like to know more about Jacobi’s biogas offering, either in the United States or Europe, email us on info@jacobi.net and our expert team will be happy to help. You can also find more information at jacobi.net/biogas.