Sustainable solution to biofuel production
A UK farmer-led renewable energy company has formed an innovative partnership with Austrian biogas experts to provide a sustainable and profitable solution to biogas production.
The partnership between Lincolnshire based Renewable Zukunft and Austrian company Ökoenergie Utzenaich GmbH, is centred on a highly efficient anaerobic digestion process, generating consistently high volumes of biogas and from a wide variety of feedstocks including slurry, silage, arable crops and organic waste.
"Importantly, the carbon neutral Bio-G Energy Ring system contributes to an overall reduction in greenhouse gases, making it an environmentally sustainable method of bioenergy generation," said Renewable Zukunft director Tim Evans.
He explains: "Our research in Europe and USA led us to our Austrian partner, the company which designed the Bio-G Energy Ring system and built its first biogas plant in 2003.
"What convinced us to invest in the Bio-G (Biogastechnik) partnership is the proven engine efficiency and extremely high engine operating hours of the Energy Ring system. The Bio-G system has consistently achieved over 8,700 operating hours a year. That's 97% up-time, it doesn't get much better than that" he continues.
"Feedstock costs are minimised and profitability increased by producing the same gas yield from fewer tonnes of feedstock. The Energy Ring process consistently achieves 85% degradation of feedstock, whereas other systems typically achieve around 70%. This reduces the tonnages required and therefore the area of land required to feed the process.
All products and co-products of the fermentation process are utilised; biogas can be converted to electricity and heat, contributing to decentralised energy production and regional energy security. Alternatively, purified gas can be fed into the natural gas grid or used to vehicles.
"The combined heat and power (CHP) generator and on-site transformer supplies the local electricity network with electricity as well as providing the plant with electricity and heat required for further biogas production," Mr Evans explains.
"Waste from the fermentation process provides an organic, odourless fertiliser which is better suited to plant requirements than artificial fertilisers. By removing the odour in the process, it is easier to spread this valuable product near residential areas.
In an enclosed system, the process eliminates the need for artificial fertilisers. The significant reduction in pesticide usage will also appeal to many farmers and environmental bodies
"As far as profitability for the agricultural industry is concerned, a 1,000-acre arable unit putting its entire harvest into biogas to produce one mega-watt of electricity per hour could expect at least a 20% return on the investment".
