Biogas Plant - Biogas can be a very harmful fuel source with many highly reactive chemicals capable of doing major damage to an engine.
Anaerobic digestion uses micro-organisms to break down organic materials – such as farm manure – in an air-tight, oxygen-free tank (called a digester). The hungry micro-organisms munch on the organic matter, and as they digest it, they produce methane and carbon dioxide gas. That’s why it is called “anaerobic digestion.”
"Money for old rope?" is an anaerobic digestion article on landfill carbon sequestration and biogas emissions 1st recorded in the Wayback Machine" in 2008.
Anaerobic Digesters are not green, say doubters of anaerobic digestion biogas technology. Plus reasons anaerobic digestion vs aerobic etc.
Anaerobic digestion plant smell is a very highly debated subject, and whenever most new AD (biogas) plants are proposed (and a planning application is submitted) it is a topic of great concern to every local resident. With that in mind, I expected to see any number of articles on this topic when I looked on the web. So, I looked, and I didn't find them. To my surprise I found that there are numerous website pages written by AD Plant objectors about specific planning applications, and by journalists reporting on what those same AD plant objectors were saying for local papers. But, nowhere did I see an attempt at presenting a rational view on this vexing question. It is an important subject, so I thought that I would write this piece in an attempt to present a "balanced" view on whether anaerobic digestion plants really do smell. First of all. Let's be perfectly honest, these plants handle organic materials and at times these will already be starting to decompose as soon as they reach the AD Plant site. Once on-site the anaerobic digestion process itself is inherently smelly. Nobody could truly say that there is not a potential odour problem for all biogas plants. Decomposition (rotting) of organic matter produces some of the most offensive odours known to man, and decomposition is what the anaerobic digestion process is all about. So, anaerobic digestion smells? Well to put a finer point to it, the materials which are fed into a biogas reactor can smell unpleasantly, and the output which is known as "digestate" (simply meaning the liquid and fibre which is left-over after the biogas gas-making reaction has occurred) invariably has a nasty odour, when it is first exposed to the air. But, that categorically does not mean that an anaerobic digestion PLANT will smell, nor that anaerobic digestion plants are smelly. They can and should be operated responsibly, and with adequate design provisions for covered and air-sealed spaces, where the odour producing activities will take place. The great majority produce less odour than an average Dairy or intensive Chicken rearing farm. As in all walks of life, some people do fail to run their biogas facilities in a responsible manner, and there are regulations against causing odour nuisance which will always need to be policed alongside other environmental protection legislation. Commercial scale Anaerobic Digestion Plants in the UK, and in most other jurisdictions too, are subject to permitting requirements, and if these are not met, bodies like the UK Environment Agency have powers to close down the AD facility if an odour-nuisance persists. Odour that is produced by the AD process, can and must be contained and the ventilated air is filtered to remove any odour, before it is blown out through the ventilation system. The technology is routinely available for this, and when correctly applied, the view of many people is that anaerobic digestion plants don't smell. In truth, they routinely create less odour than the farmyard next door. For any resident who is concerned about a new AD plant planning application being approved, due to their concerns about smells, we would suggest that they conduct some fairly simple research. Find out where there are already biogas plants in your area, and make a visit. Go, get out of your car for a minute, draw a deep breath, and stand on the public roadside, and draw in the air, and smell for yourself. In my area there are already 4 anaerobic digestion plants within a mile and a half, of where I live and they are all two or more years old, but I have never smelled them outside of the property where each is located. When I have been detected a suspicious odour I have found that the offending odour was in fact the result of general farming activities and not the AD plant. Conclusion The anaerobic digestion process has a bad smell, but as long as it is kept sealed in by good practices in the operation of the leachate plant, or other waste disposal method, provided at sanitary landfills, there is no reason for the AD Facility to produce an unpleasant odour. To view the above video on the YouTube website click here.
Animal by-products (ABP) from meat-processing form an increasing group of materials with tightening treatment and disposal requirements. Many ABPs can be reused as energy- and nutrient-rich raw materials for anaerobic digestion process with similar reduction of greenhouse gas emissions. Anaerobic digestion is an effective and current way to adopt sustainable development locally and case-specifically into practice and rise to the challenges to which environmental technology is expected to answer. It is noteworthy that the benefits mentioned (renewable energy and fertilizer production) are achieved with the digestion of significant amounts of regularly produced waste materials which should be treated and stabilised in any case. This research introduces new information about the case- and material-specific factors of anaerobic digestion process requirements and process optimisation, degradability of the ABPs and mechanisms involved in pre-treatments and co-digestion of ABPs. The information produced could be directly utilised in the practical implementations of the anaerobic digestion of studied or corresponding materials and feed mixtures.
While countries around the world are thinking of ways to mitigate the impacts of methane, this gas can actually be used in a more beneficial way by turning it into renewable energy through a process called anaerobic digestion
Explore innovative biogas power generation solutions for sustainable energy production. Maximise efficiency with biogas technology.
What is the world coming to when we say we will talk about turning poop into power! Are we crazy? No not at all. There is nothing silly or childish about this revolution in bioenergy and waste management. To put it bluntly: Using livestock poo and human toilet waste as fuel.
The anaerobic digestion of sludge using the Upflow Anaerobic Sludge Blanket (UASB) Process. Now being used also for the benefits of the methane it produces.
The Anaerobic Digestion Process Steps: A waste treatment process for pollution control & energy recovery plus a natural fertiliser.
Dry Anaerobic Digestion Secrets: Producing biogas energy. Reducing the organic activity of MSW (Municipal Solid Waste).
The Anaerobic Digestion UK market should dramatically decrease biogas production price, and also produce a big improvement in digester returns elevating them by an unbelievable 20 times current norms. That's the vision of some in the UK market, that also point out that without a revolution in AD innovation performance there is little chance of the biological fermentation process accomplishing its full potential. What's more, they make the point that biogas works best as an energy storage tool, yet to earn a distinction large amounts of biogas have to be readily available to (for instance) balance electrical energy grids during maximum demand loadings. The Anaerobic Digestion UK industry needs to drastically reduce biogas production cost, and bring about a revolution in digester yields raising them by an astonishing 20 fold. That’s the vision of some in the UK industry, who also point out that without a revolution in AD technology productivity there is little chance of the process achieving its full potential. What’s more they make the point that biogas works best as an energy storage medium, but to make a difference very large quantities of biogas need to be available to (for example) balance electricity grids during peak loadings. Most anaerobic digestion UK commentators would say that the UK anaerobic digestion as a whole has been very successful in the last few years, starting from a low base the year on year rises in installed AD Plant capacity have been impressive. Those involved in building the plants, have worked very hard and achieved a great deal, and may understandably be wringing their hands in disappointment to be told that actually they may not have reached far above base camp, and Everest is still there to climb. However, that in effect is what is staring the UK anaerobic digestion industry in the face, and there are people who are very willing to take that reality in hand and accept the challenge. One such is AD&Bioresources Association Member, Tropical Power. Below we repeat part of a recent foreword in their magazine, by Mike Mason, Chairman, Tropical Power. We liked the piece so much that we also created a video on the subject below, for those that prefer to watch a video rather than read text: Storing Up The Benefits Of AD AD BIORESOURCES NEWS – THE UK ANAEROBIC DIGESTION & BIORESOURCES TRADE ASSOCIATION’S BI-MONTHLY MAGAZINE NOVEMBER 2016 …If AD is to really deliver in those areas it needs to compete on cost with wind and solar – solar PV is achieving costs of £30-£50/MWh in places, with wind close behind. The first challenge for AD is therefore to drive down costs – not by 30 per cent but to one third or less of current levels. That means serious, fundamental research leading to the revolutionary progress that is needed if the industry is to catch up with the rapidly falling costs of other technologies. The clues that this might be achievable come from ruminants like cows, where the rate-limiting step of anaerobic digestion – hydrolysis of the cellulose – can take place up to 30 times faster than in an AD plant. Imitate this and the world of AD looks very different. It speaks of plants built in factories as affordable machines, rather than in fields as expensive civil engineering projects. But there is more to value than just cost. Storage is the energy world’s greatest challenge. Solar and wind cannot offer dispatchability, and batteries add perhaps £50-£60/MWh to the cost of delivering renewable electricity – doubling the cost of night-time solar. Storage is therefore AD’s ‘ace in the hole’. Biogas is cheap to store, and larger engines are little more expensive than smaller ones, so AD can back up solar or wind and help stabilise struggling grids. Perhaps the most important global role for low cost AD, therefore, is to be a key part of solving the critical storage and stability issues that future grids will face. As well as driving down costs, we should be arguing for greater recognition of the value of our technology in a low carbon world. www.tropicalpower.com Reducing Biogas Cost & Raising AD Yields 20 Fold - The Technical Challenges There are two technological challenges which the anaerobic digestion industry faces, which if low-cost solutions can be found might go a long way to meeting the Tropical Power vision described above, and these are: a) Greatly improved hydrolysis of the cellulose content of all biomass feedstocks. In essence to replicate the speed in cows achieve hydrolysis in their stomachs. If they can do it – why not man in his mechanical stomachs (biogas digesters)? b) Finding a simple low cost solution to using those feedstock materials for biogas production which contain large quantities of nitrogen. Such feedstocks are often avoided, because they may actually hamper biogas production by inhibiting the bacteria in charge of breaking down organic material. A rate limiting factor in AD is the extent to which ammonia can be allowed to build-up within the process, before it inhibits growth of the organisms involved in biogas production. Improving a) and b) would open the way to much higher yields of biogas per cubic metre of reactor volume. If solutions to both of the above technological challenges were to be found which could be brought into widespread use, it would have a huge benefit to the take-up of AD, and go some way to making the “vision” we spoke of earlier, a reality. To some extent solutions are already on the horizon. For a) there has already been thermal hydrolysis equipment on the market since CAMBI pioneered the concept as long as 20 years ago, and there are now many companies offering similar kit. Other companies are also starting to offer enzymes for hydrolysing incoming cellulose, which looks promising. For b) above there are fewer options, but one company is offering a process to separate nitrogen from high nitrogen feedstocks BEFORE biogas production. They say that this is now possible, as a new approach using an additional fermentation stage to pre-treat feedstock. The technology has been EU funded, and has been developed in Finland by Ductor Corp. We will be writing an article about this interesting development soon.
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Microplastic Contamination in Compost Made from Green Waste to Anaerobic Digestate Compared: Which has the most/is worst?
Anaerobic digestion can play a major part in the fight against climate change, and the importance of the link between anaerobic digestion and climate change
This week there are many players in the UK anaerobic digestion industry who have been blogging and sending out news releases complaining about the UK government's continuing reductions in the taxpayer subsidised UK Feed-in Tarrif (FiT). This is an additional payment which approved AD Plant operators are guaranteed to be paid, in addition to the normal payment per kWh, for their renewable biogas energy generated electricity. It really is not news that the biogas plant capacity which will be granted at a preferential FiT, is being progressively reduced. So, the only aspect of that might be seen as "news" is the way in which the FiT is being reduced, through technical aspects of the way it is being handed out. FiT allocations are being dribbled out in batches every 3 months by the government department responsible (DECC), and each time they open the doors for new project submissions, the budgeted FiT allowances are being taken up in a matter of minutes. Is it any wonder that a government desperate to save on public spending, will seize on that indication, to assume that the industry is healthy? With so many backers of the anaerobic digestion process clamouring to develop projects and apply for FiT payments, the Politicians must be assuming that the UK AD industry can hardly fail? UK Anaerobic Digestion Plant Promoters Should Stop Complaining! The view from this blogger is that there are many other ways to sell the biogas energy produced by biogas plants. Producing electricity is only one way to monetize biogas energy! It is accepted that other methods may often, but not always, require additional investment in cleaning up the raw biogas, before these alternative markets can be supplied, but these new products can command higher payment. They also waste less of the energy, and can therefore be more environmentally sustainable. The best alternative for many is biogas upgrading which can be done to a variety of quality specifications, with the most stringent being for injection into the natural gas supply grid. Upgrading technology to do this has improved hugely in the last few years, and the market for renewable compressed natural gas (CNG) is one that is insatiable. At least cannot be over-supplied within current forecasts for biogas feed-stock availability, so why complain? simply accept reality, and like most of the rest of the world, get on and live with it! The following is a round up of a sample of the complaining articles I refer to. Come on AD'ers. Stop moaning and live with it! New Feed-in-Tariffs Hampering Anaerobic Digestion Development in UK Charlotte Morton, ADBA’s chief executive, commented: “The FIT deployment cap of 20MW per year for AD is already constraining much needed baseload capacity, failing to recognise our industry’s ambition. Not rolling over unused capacity from one tariff period to the next is salt in the wound and a shocking waste of MWs worth of renewable electricity which DECC has already accounted for. Via New Feed-in-Tariffs Hampering Anaerobic Digestion Development in UK "UK Feed-In Tariff cuts for new anaerobic digestion plants could be worse than thought", via UK Feed-In Tariff cuts for new anaerobic digestion plants could be worse than thought 10% FIT Capacity For Anaerobic Digestion “Wasted”CIWM Journal Online The new FIT scheme has quarterly “caps” on maximum deployment for each technology, which are set at 5MW for AD. An application for a plant that breaches the cap is counted towards the next quarter – but any capacity unused is simply lost. This is despite the government’s consultation response saying that “any unused capacity for a particular technology and degression band from one quarter simply gets added on to the next quarter.” Via 10% FIT Capacity For Anaerobic Digestion “Wasted” The industry needs to stand-back from all this, and realise that it the UK Referendum on 23 June, results in the UK leaving the EU, the power of Prime Minister Cameron will be greatly diminished and in that case the Department of Environment and Climate Change will probably be very quickly closed down. The UK Treasury clearly would like to close DECC, and Cameron is surrounded by politicians who are openly antagonistic to subsidising energy (with some holding no sympathy at all with those that seek to limit climate change), so what chance would this department then hold of even being around to hand out any FiTs at all? It would be much better for the UK AD Industry to accept reality and concentrate on produce other alternative biogas energy products and market their renewable energy into those markets. Electricity production is after all, a wasteful use of this valuable energy, and with transmission losses etc., only about 30% to 50% will ever reach the consumer. Baseline electricity supply 24/7 is important, but can be supplied by a myriad of small peak load shedding diesel generators located at the premises of the main power users. The UK government is subsidising those installations. It will potentially be able to extend those programmes much more cheaply than adding nuclear power stations. So, stop whingeing UK anaerobic digestion project promoters! Get on with taking the next leap into CNG / biomethane production now! Anaerobic-Digestion.com
Astonishing Near 70% Growth in Scottish Anaerobic Digestion in 1 Year: Record numbers of Biogas plants commissioned. Cut-backs in subsidies.
Mesophilic anaerobic digestion is "cool", you'd be right, but probably in more ways than you would realize unless you read this! Definition is here.
Anaerobic Digestion Equipment is a rapidly expanding market sector. The market will reach $7 billion by 2018 with annual growth rate of over 9% over 5 years
Process design engineers are constantly on the lookout for dependable pumps that can handle challenging tasks. Borger rotary lobe pumps stand out as a robust
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Anaerobic digestion uses micro-organisms to break down organic materials – such as farm manure – in an air-tight, oxygen-free tank (called a digester). The hungry micro-organisms munch on the organic matter, and as they digest it, they produce methane and carbon dioxide gas. That’s why it is called “anaerobic digestion.”
Using digestate from Anaerobic Digestion provides a valuable plant fertiliser. In fact, unlocking the potential of digestate is vital for the sustainability of the agriculture sector. There is nothing else quite as good when you take a holistic view of its many benefits.
It was only a matter of time before someone hit upon the idea of crowdfunding to finance the development of an anaerobic digestion plant designed for western/ developed nation use. As a long-standing anaerobic digestion and biogas blogger I am often asked in the emails I receive, where the enquirer can buy a home biogas unit. If the request is for a single household sized unit, until now there has not been a system which I considered was available in the US, UK or Europe, with full support from a reputable supplier/ installer at any price. I have been advertising a "home made biogas unit" on my blogs, for a while now, and although there have been a few DIY blueprints available to buy and download online, I have found that the number of individuals in the wealthy nations who wish to make a biogas plant themselves, are very few and far between. Now all that appears to be changing. It seems that there is a pre-built package unit, as described below, that presumably comes delivered and ready to switch on and fill with organic household waste, the market for such a biogas unit may be much larger. It will be interesting to see if that is the case. Watch the video below: Call me a skeptic if you like, but I do still doubt that many will buy this, even if the 2-4 hours of cooking time daily proved to be correct,. However, the cooking time stated is well above the biogas generation rate usually attributed to such systems. In addition, in the "wealthy west" not many people will want to mess around with their food waste, let alone spend time mixing pet litter with water in order to put it into the digester. There may be a market for this product nevertheless in colleges, and universities, plus maybe even schools, where students can be given projects to demonstrate how biogas can be made. But, until proved to me otherwise I don't think there will be many household takers even at the current reduced current price, but I would be delighted to hear from readers in feedback (use the comment box below) that I am wrong. Home sized biogas unit lets you convert your own organic waste into cooking fuel It’s never been easier to generate your own power. Israeli startup Home Biogas has developed a relatively affordable home-sized biogas unit that allows people to convert their own waste into fuel. The compact unit, which is currently running a crowdfunding campaign to support its production costs, lets everyday homeowners convert their organic waste into enough gas for 2-4 hours of cooking and 5 to 8 liters of liquid fertilizer per day. © HomeBiogas The HomeBiogas unit is a perfect match for homeowners who would like to start a full-cycle waste recovery system in the comfort of their own home. The unit has the ability to take in up to 6 liters per day of any food waste or up to 15 liters per day of animal manure and turn it into fuel for cooking as well as organic fertilizer. © HomeBiogas HomeBiogas is being marketed to the average homeowner, either already off-grid or just looking into a “homemade” renewable energy source. According to the system details, the unit can convert just one kilogram of food waste into about 200 liters (7 cubic feet) of gas, more than enough to fuel an hour’s worth of cooking. In addition to its reasonable cost and exceptional environmental value, the sleek rectangular unit is quite easy to use and easy-to-assemble. In fact, it measures in at 48”x65”x39.4” and weighs less than 88 pounds. If you’re interested in buying the HomeBiogas unit, the company is offering supporters an opportunity on their crowdfunding page to reserve one with a pledge of $890. Once the campaign is over, the unit will go back to its regular retail price of $1500. via Home sized biogas unit lets you convert your own organic waste into cooking fuel Mean while Treehugger has a slightly different view on this: Home-sized biogas unit turns organic waste into cooking fuel and fertilizer, for under $900 : TreeHugger A startup from Israel has developed a home-sized biogas unit that can take organic waste and convert it into enough gas for 2-4 hours of cooking, as well as 5 to 8 liters of organic liquid fertilizer, every single day. The accurately-named HomeBiogas device could herald a new dawn for full-circle local waste recovery for both on- and off-grid homes, because it has the ability to take in up to 6 liters per day of any food waste (including both meat and dairy, which are often not recommended for home composting) or up to 15 liters per day of animal manure (including pet waste, which is also considered a no-no in home composting), and turn that into enough fuel to cook several meals per day, while also producing a rich organic fertilizer that can boost soil fertility and garden yields. While many home biogas initiatives tend to be focused on the developing world, where animal and human waste can be converted into a clean-burning fuel for cooking or heating water, providing a renewable local energy source, this project is aimed at the suburban market, where it can function as a valuable component of a home's energy network, either as an adjunct to grid-based systems or as an off-grid accessory. © HomeBiogas According to HomeBiogas, 1 kilogram of food waste can produce an average of about 200 liters (7 cubic feet) of gas, which can fuel an hour's worth of cooking over a high flame, so with a full daily input of 6 liters of organic waste, the company's units can produce several hours of cooking gas each day, and can help homes eliminate one ton of organic waste each year, and avoid generating the equivalent of 6 tons of CO2 annually. Via Home-sized biogas unit turns organic waste into cooking fuel and fertilizer, for under $900 To wtach this on YouTube click here. Summary So, here you have it. Is this really going to be the first true Home Biogas Plant for the developed world, turning waste into gas and fertilizer? Food waste and declining energy sources are major environmental hazards. Biogas is the solution it's a natural process in which organic waste is converted into cooking gas so five years ago we went on a mission to bring biogas to every home regroup the best engineers scientists designers and product people togethere Markiting manager of HomeBiogas Ron Yariv Said: Homebiogas is the first family sized user friendly affordable biogas system. It is the [latest biogas digester design] and you can put it in your backyard. This home biogas plant comes in and easy to assemble kit and it uses a simple-as-can-be [system] just [by] throwing your organic waste in there. You go [and get your] hot stove ready for cooking. [It produces] a cycle of in-house energy and it runs with no electricity or leftovers, [but also it] provides you [with a claimed] two to three hours of energy and [you fill it with]... handy kitchen leftovers, including meat and dairy products.... even your pet's litter. via Home Biogas Plant -Turning waste into gas and Fertilizer - Do Science! Let's have your opinion. Is this worth buying?
COMAH regulations for Anaerobic Digestion and Biogas Plants. Why compliance is crucial, aligns with DSEAR, & advanced equipment.
Anaerobic Digestion Plants UK - Rapid growth in UK anaerobic digestion plants began around the turn of the century . Visit this page for Biogas site lists.
What was the RHI? The UK Renewable Heat Incentive that Closed in 2022: Looking back at the RHI UK's sustainable heat incentive.
Small Scale Anaerobic Digestion for Supermarkets (AD) is a highly sustainable choice for reducing supermarket carbon emissions. Read more...
Developments in Anaerobic Digestion Technology plus the rise in natural gas prices, now mean that renewable energy is cheaper to make and use than traditional fossil-energy-based fuels.
