Industrial Potential For Biogas

Introduction
What is Bio Gas?
Biogas typically refers to a mixture of different gases produced by the breakdown of
organic matter in the absence of oxygen. Biogas can be produced from raw
materials such as agricultural waste, manure, municipal waste, plant material,
sewage, green waste or food waste. It is a renewable energy source and in many
cases exerts a very small carbon footprint.

Biogas composition
The composition of biogas varies depending upon the origin of the anaerobic
digestion process. Landfill gas typically has methane concentrations around
50%.Typical composition of biogas id given below
Compound

Formula

Methane

CH4

5075

Carbon dioxide

CO2

2550

Nitrogen

N2

010

Hydrogen

H2

01

H2S

03

O2

00

Hydrogen Sulphide
Oxygen
Source: www.kolumbus.fi

Production
Biogas is produced as landfill gas (LFG), which is produced by the breakdown of
biodegradable waste inside a landfill due to chemical reactions and microbes, or as
digested gas, produced inside an anaerobic digester. A biogas plant is the name
often given to an anaerobic digester that treats farm wastes or energy crops. It can
be produced using anaerobic digesters (air-tight tanks with different configurations).
These plants can be fed with energy crops such as maize silage or biodegradable
wastes including sewage sludge and food waste. During the process, the
microorganisms transform biomass waste into biogas (mainly methane and carbon
dioxide) and digestate. The biogas is a renewable energy that can be used for
heating, electricity, and many other operations that use a reciprocating internal
combustion engine, such as GE Jenbacher or Caterpillar gas engines.[4] Other
internal combustion engines such as gas turbines are suitable for the conversion of
biogas into both electricity and heat. The digestate is the remaining organic matter
that was not transformed into biogas. It can be used as an agricultural fertiliser.

Industrial Potential For Biogas

There are a lot of industries which produce organic waste this waste can processed
to produce biogas.
Main industries which can produce biogas are given below

Food-processing industries
Live Stock
Agriculture
Poltery

Food-processing industrial wastes

Food processing comprises the methods and techniques used to transform raw
ingredients into food; or to transform food into other forms for consumption by
humans or animals, either at home or in the food processing industries (Kaushik, et
al., 2009). The processes often produce large amounts of wastes, so called
byproducts, which have been evaluated in many studies for their potential
utilization and their suitability for chemical and biological treatments. Since these
by-products contain relatively high concentrations of organic contents, anaerobic
digestion is a preferable method for treatment of these materials.

Sugar processing waste

Sugar is produced in 121 Countries and the overall global sugar production was
approx. 160 million tons in year 2009, which was 4.5% higher than in year 2008
(World sugar market review, 2010). Approximately 70% of sugar is produced from
sugar cane, while the remaining 30% is produced from sugar beet. Beetsugar
production generates several streams of organic wastes and the process scheme is
shown in Figure 2. The circles mark the model wastes from sugar production, used
in our research (Paper I, II). The three main waste-streams are molasses, beet pulp
and cutoffs (beet top and beet leaves). Molasses is a syrup residue from the sugar
extraction process, which can contain up to 48% sugar (Satyawali and Balakrishnan,
2007). Technological advances in the sugar industry have made it possible to
extract more sugar from the normal molasses. Desugared molasses is a residue
from the desugaring process of normal molasses (Olbrich, 1963). From the factory
data (DANISCO, Denmark), every ton of beet sugar produced generates 0.24 ton of
DM, 0.33 ton of beet pulp, and 0.53 ton of
grass cut-offs (Sugar production, 2001)

Potato starch processing waste

World potato production is steadily increasing, from 268 million tons in 1991 to 314
million tons in 2008 (FAOSTAT, 2010). Since the 1990s, production has dramatically
increased in Asia, Africa and Latin America, with over a fivefold increase in the past
40 years. These countries now account for half of the worlds production, with China
and India accounting for one third of the total production.Denmark was the
thirteenth largest potato producer in Europe in 2007, typically contributing 1.5-2
million tons per year, depending on the season. 75% of the Danish potatoes are
used in potato starch production and 85% of Danish potato starch is exported to
more than 40 countries all over the world (International starch institute, 2010).
Potato starch production generates several streams of organic wastes and the
process scheme is shown in Figure 3. The circles show the model wastes from

potato starch production relevant to our research (Paper III). Per ton of potato flour
(80% potato starch and 20% water) produced, 6.6 m3 of potato juice and 0.73 ton
of potato pulp are produced as by-products (Potato flour production, 2002). These
two by-products contain biodegradable components such as starch and proteins,
which could be used for biogas production through anaerobic digestion.

Palm oil processing waste

The production of palm oil is increasing every year since the 1960s. Crude palm oil
is the main product in the palm oil industry. However, large amounts of wastes are
also generated, such as POME produced through a multistep oil extraction
processes, EFB produced after sterilization, and deoiled POME produced after
clarification of POME (Poh and Chong, 2009). Palm oil production generates several
streams of organic wastes and the process scheme is shown in Figure 4. The circles
mark the model wastes from palm oil production in our research (Paper IV, V). For
every ton of palm oil extracted, 2.5 tons of POME and 1.3 tons of empty fruit bunch
are generated. At least 44 million tons of POME was produced in Malaysia in year
2008, which led to high demand for proper treatments (Wu et al., 2010)

Potential for biogas and fertilizer

Being an agro-livestock based economy; Pakistan has huge resources of biomass
that are available in the form of crop residues, dung and feces, poultry litter,
sugarcane bagasse and wood [5]. Electricity generation using biomass is one of the
most convenient options, approximately 9 Giga Watts of electricity is generated
from biomass worldwide. Pakistan is worlds 5th largest sugarcane producer with an
average annual production of 50 million tons cane and 10 million tons of bagasse.
According to an estimate there are about 80 sugar mills having potential to
generate almost 3000 MW energy through biogas generation but they are currently
operating at 700 MW [12].

Livestock sector is growing at the rate of 4% annually [1]. There are almost 159
million animals and their manure can be used for generation of biogas in rural
areas. Energy production by using animal feces is highly sustainable as it is
economically viable, socially acceptable besides being environment friendly [14].
There are almost 65.2 million cattle and buffalo (Table 2) [1] assuming that an
average animal can produce 10 kg of manure daily would account for almost 652
million kg of dung. If 50% of produced feces is collected and used for biogas
production, it will be 326 million kg. According to an estimate about 20 kg wet mass
of manure can generate 1 cubic meter (m3) biogas [6] therefore producing almost
16.3 million m3 biogas daily. Almost 112 million people in Pakistan are rural
residents and biogas can meet their cooking and other energy needs in a good way.
Pakistan can also explore biogas potential of citrus pulp, paper industry, slaughter
house and street waste as well. Poultry waste is ideal substrate to produce
biogas [15]. Rice straw, when used for biogas production in comparison with other
resources like cotton gin, etc. was found best for methane production but when
cotton gin mixed with livestock dung was fermented; it produced more gas in lesser
time [16]. This clearly states that rice straw and cotton wastes can be used for
electricity generation as well [15]. Apart from gas generation Pakistan has potential

to produce 21 million tons of bio fertilizer per year [9]. A study shows that manure
collected from cow farms has phosphorus value ranging between 4100 and 18,300
mg/kg of dry matter [17]. Another research showed that 57% of total manure
produced was collectable and after considering all the losses 19% of the fresh
manure nitrogen, 37% of phosphorus and 29% of potassium were available to plants
and they could compensate almost 20% of nitrogen and 66% of phosphorus
required in the fields [18]. Manure application can surely reduce the costs of
chemical fertilizers and enhance the productivity of soil while acting as indirect
energy source for the country.

Biogas plant for poultry factories

The biogas plant at the poultry factory will significantly reduce the part of energy
costs in the prime cost of end products, and also provide enterprise with the energy
without the use of external energy sources.Chicken manure is quite aggressive
because of the high content of ammoniates. In its raw form, it has a sharp, distinct
smell. At the same time, chicken manure is a highly effective organic fertilizer. To
obtain such fertilizer, manure must be stored for about a year, which causes a
negative reaction of surrounding communities. In the case of manure processing in
a biogas plant, it can be applied as fertilizer at once, without long-term storage and
composting it, that significantly reduces the environmental load. Also not processed
manure may contain pathogenic flora. After processing in the biogas plant it
disappears and active flora appears instead, that improves microbiological
processes in the soil.
Key features of chicken manure comparatively with other substrates are high
content of protein, which is a source of nitrogen. Therefore, chicken manure in its
pure form (mono-substrate) is processed under two stage technology. Biogas plant
is equipped by an additional hydrolysis reactor. In the hydrolysis reactor, the special
temperature conditions are provided, humidity rises, and PH level is controlled. Also
if the technological cycle of biogas plant is designed as closed (liquid fraction after
fermentation is used for dilution of fresh raw materials), biogas plant should be
equipped by ammonia nitrogen removal system, as it inhibits the process (leads to
damping).
Construction of a plant for biogas production from chicken manure will allow the
company to become energy-independent, to lower production prime cost and to
decide the issue of environmental safety.

Development of energy crop digestion

The idea to use dedicated plant biomass,the so called energy crops for methane
production (biomethanation) is not new. Early investigations on the biomethanation
potential of different crops and plant materials have been carried out in the 1930s
by Buswell in the USA and later on in the 1950s by Reinhold and Noack in Germany.
In 1980, Stewart described the potential use of oats, grass and straw in New
Zealand, resulting in methane yields of 170280 m3.t-1 TS. Even water hyacinths
and fresh water algae were shown to result in medium methane yields between
150240 m3.t-1 TS. In the USA a large project on microalgae and kelp for aquatic

raw material production was started. Although the digestion of crop material was
demonstrated, the process was hardly applied in practice. Crop digestion was
commonly not considered to be economically feasible. Crops, plants, plant byproducts and-waste materials were just added occasionally to stabiliseanaerobic
waste digesters. With steadily increasing oil prices and improved legal framework
conditions, energy crop-research and development was again stimulated in the
1990s. In Germany for example, the number of digesters using energy crops has
increased from about 100 in 1990 to nearly 4,000 in 2008 (Figure 1). The steady
increase in energy crop digester applications in Germany and similarly in Austria,
can be directly attributed to the favourable supportive European and National legal
frameworks of eco-tariffs, paid for renewable energy. Depending on the electrical
power capacity of the digestion plants, staggered feed in tariffs are guaranteed for
the whole depreciation period of the investment. Similar subsidising systems exist
for instance in Switzerland and France. Other European countries apply tax
exemptions (e.g. Sweden) or certificates (e.g. UK) for renewable energies.
Figure: 1:

Energy crops used in anaerobic digestion

Numerous plants and plant materials have been tested for their methane formation
potential. In principal many varieties of grass, clover, cereals and maize including
whole plants, as well as rape or sunflower proved feasible for methane production.
Even hemp, flax, nettle, miscanthus or potatoes, beets, kale, turnip, rhubarb and
artichoke were tested successfully. Some practically used energy crops are shown
in photos 1 to 4.