Overview
ISO 24252:2021 - Biogas systems (Non-household and non-gasification) provides guidance on safety, environmental performance and functional requirements for biogas installations based on anaerobic digestion. It covers the full lifecycle: design, manufacturing, installation, testing, commissioning, acceptance, operation, inspection and maintenance of systems for biogas production, conditioning, upgrading and utilization (non-household, non-gasification applications).
The standard is focused on practical safety and operational measures for industrial and commercial biogas plants while explicitly excluding items such as boilers/burners (unless used with locally produced biogas), vehicle/ship gas engines, public gas grid interfaces, biomethane quality specifications, transport of compressed/liquefied biogas, transport of biomass/digestate, and sustainability sourcing assessment.
Key topics and technical requirements
ISO 24252:2021 addresses a broad set of technical and management topics, including:
- Safety principles and risk management - hazard studies, risk assessment, HAZOP/HAZID, and Explosion Protection Documents (EPD).
- Environmental requirements - odour control, soil and surface-water protection, air pollution control and venting management.
- Design and materials - materials selection, structural integrity, weight and stability calculations, and reuse of equipment.
- Process system facilities - gas-side equipment, cooling systems, condensate and particle removal, desulphurization and biogas buffering.
- Pressure protection and pipelines - requirements for untreated biogas piping, civil design and moisture/contaminant removal.
- Monitoring and control - electronic process monitoring, gas detection, instrumentation and process control architectures.
- Buildings & services - ventilation, gas detection within buildings, noise protection, flame and fire protection, earthing and lightning protection.
- Operational resilience - storage of hazardous substances, emergency routing, power-failure facilities, flares/thermal oxidizers and firefighting measures.
- Specific system requirements - additional clauses for landfill plants, biogas upgrading, CHP and liquefaction facilities.
Practical applications and users
This standard is intended for professionals who design, build, operate or regulate non-household biogas systems:
- Plant designers and engineers specifying materials, safety distances and process control
- Manufacturers and equipment suppliers for digesters, conditioning units and upgrade systems
- Operators and maintenance teams implementing inspection, monitoring and emergency procedures
- Safety and environmental officers conducting risk assessments and compliance checks
- Contractors, consultants, insurers and regulators assessing plant conformity and operational safety
Related considerations (implementation)
- Use ISO 24252:2021 together with local regulations and specific standards for electrical installations, gas piping and environmental permits.
- The standard helps improve safety, environmental performance, and operational reliability of anaerobic digestion and biogas upgrading plants.
Keywords: ISO 24252:2021, biogas systems standard, anaerobic digestion, biogas conditioning, biogas upgrading, biogas safety, biogas pipelines, biogas plant operation.
