Biogas for a sustainable future Jyvskyl, April 28, 2009 Arthur - - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

Biogas for a sustainable future

Jyväskylä, April 28, 2009 Arthur Wellinger Nova Energie Ltd.

Seminar Biogas Technology

The contribution is made up of 3 parts:

• Advantages of anaerobic digestion
• Types of installations
• Sustainability criteria

Seminar Biogas Technology

Anaerobic Digestion (AD) is the most promising method to

• upgrade

waste water from household

• r

industry

• stabilize

sewage sludge

• treat

the

• rganic

fraction

• f municipal

solid waste

• improve

fertilizer quality

• f animal

waste

• digest

energy crop to biogas with clear environmental advantages like

• Hygienisation
• f waste

material (at 55°C)

• reduction
• f GHG emissions
• substitution
• f fossil fuels

Advantages of biogas production

Seminar Biogas Technology

Technologies of biogas production

A: Contact reactor B: Up-flow anaerobic filter C: Fluidized bed D: UASB

More than 3000 high- rate digesters are

• perated

world wide for WWT from industry and household

Upgrade of waste water from household and industry

Seminar Biogas Technology

UASB cover 2/3 of all industrial WWTP

Dry fermentation systems

Industrial dry fermentation systems

Dranco Kompogas Valorga

Industrial wet fermentation systems

BTA Munich Lahia

Agricultural wet fermentation systems

Improved fertilizer quality

• f animal

& source separated wastes

• better

nutrient availability

• improved

homogeneity

• less

plant burning

• reduced

C/N ratio

• odour

reduction

• elimination
• f plant

pathogens and weed seeds

Energy remains the major driving force of biogas production

Biogas

Desulfurization Desulfurization Gas treatment Gas treatment CHP Boiler Reforming Compression Pressure tank Fuel cell Heat Power Heat Power Heat Fuel

Electricity production

Driving Driving with ith biogas biogas has a long has a long tradition tradition

Classic beetle

Citroen

The choice

• f makes

is increasing

Comparison Comparison to other to other bio-fuels io-fuels

How far can a car run with different biofuels produced on 1ha of land ?

Sustainability criteria

• No or low emissions (methane slip)

during methane production or upgrading

• No or low emissions during storage
• Reduced GHG emissions during biogas utilisation
• Limited competition with food:
• Optimised growth conditions
• Plants with high gas yields
• Growth on marginal land
• Significant emissions from

land-use change are be avoided

Methane slip

• Flameless oxidation

(e.g. Flox)

• Catalytic conversion
• Absorption with <0.5% slip

Emissions during storage

Low noise – low emission

• Reduced

GHG emissions during biogas utilisation

Reduction with biogas as compared to petrol diesel CO2 100% 100% NOx 53% 95% Soot 35% 99% NMHC 75% 36%

Optimal growth conditions

• Limited competition with food:
• Optimised growth conditions
• Plants with high gas yields
• Growth on marginal land

process steps

• bjectives

cultivation harvest ensilage biogas production high yielding low losses high gas production potential

influencing factors

plant species harvest time chopping length chopping length additives duration of storage process conditions Source: Heiermann

• Silages (n=162)

100 200 300 400 500 600 700 800 900 1000 m a i z e ; n = 3 2 s p r i n g b a r l e y ; n = 2 f

• r

a g e g r a s s ; n = 1 6 s p r i n g r y e ; n = 9 p e a /

• a

t / f a l s e f l a x ; n = 5

• a

t ; n = 8 s w e e t s

• r

g h u m ; n = 4 f

• r

a g e s

• r

g h u m ; n = 2 f

• d

d e r r a d i s h ; n = 2 J . a r t i c h

• k

e h a u l m ; n = 1 6 s u n f l

• w

e r ; n = 4 biogas yield [Nl/kg ODM]

Source: Heiermann

Plant species - Biogas

• Silages

100 200 300 400 500 milk early dough milk early dough end of stem elongation inflorescence development

• f fruit

ripening heading early dough flowering completed milk spring rye

• at/pea/

false flax Jerusalem artichoke sun flower forage sorghum sweet sorghum plant species / growth stages methane yield [Nl/kg ODM]

Source: Heiermann

Plant species – Harvest time

• Methane yield

Impact of ensiling process

50 100 150 200 250 s p r i n g b a r l e y s p r i n g r y e s w e e t s

• r

g h u m f

• r

a g e g r a s s s u n f l

• w

e r s

• a

t / p e a / f a l s e f l a x

• a

t m a i z e f

• r

a g e s

• r

g h u m J . a r t i c h

• k

e f

• d

d e r r a d i s h

CH4 yield [Nl/kg harvested material] fresh m aterial silage

n=20 n=1 n=4 n=16 n=2 n=4 n=5 n=7 n=2 n=4 n=5 n=4 n=5 n=20 n=2 n=16 n=2 n=8 n=12 n=32 n=4 n=20

Y FM> Y Silage Y Silage > Y FM

Source: Heiermann

Conclusions

• We should be carefully aware of ecological risks
• But scientific evidence should set the pace
• LCA‘s are just an instrument sensitive to manipulation
• ...and we should never forget that until the early stages of the

20th century agriculture used always between 16% (Switzerland) and 21% (Austria) of the land for energy production.

Thank you for your attention !

Sustainability criteria

Sustainability criteria

Optimising biogas production from energy crop

process steps

• bjectives

cultivation harvest ensilage biogas production high yielding low losses high gas production potential

influencing factors

plant species harvest time chopping length chopping length additives duration of storage process conditions

Source: Heiermann

Pre-Conditions of sustainable biomass production

A Commission on “Sustainable production

• f biomass”, developed

criteria for a sustainabile biomass production [Cramer et al., 2006] : ■ Net GHG emission reduction compared with fossil fuels

• f at least 30%

■ No decrease in the availability

• f biomass

for food, local energy supply, building materials

• r

medicines (reporting

• bligation);

■ No deterioration

• f protected

areas

• r

valuable ecosystems (compliance with local requirements); ■ No possible negative effects

• n the

regional and national economy (reporting

• bligation);

■ No negative effects

• n the

social well-being

• f the

workers and local population, including working conditions, human rights, property rights and land-use rights (compliance and reporting

• bligations);

■ No negative effects

• n the

local environment (compliance with local and national legislation and/or reporting

• bligation).

Pre-Conditions of sustainable biofuel production

In addition two new topics came up the last two years:

• 1. Biofuels production must target idle and marginal land and

use of wastes and residues

• 2. Biofuels can only contribute GHG savings from transport if

significant emissions from land-use change are avoided and appropriate production technologies are employed