Going green with biogas - Jakarta Post

Trisha Sertori, Contributor, Payangan, Bali | Tue, 05/03/2011 9:49 PM | Life
The green movement is taking hold around the globe. 




People are choosing to “go green” by taking their own shopping bags to supermarkets, others leave the car at home and bike to work, saving on emissions and getting healthy into the bargain.

Then there are the myriad of businesses who see having a green logo stamped on their products ups sales — green is a good business move.

But most of these actions are thought to take place amid the urban, the well informed and socially conscious; few guess that in villages going green at the grassroots is a way of life. And it is because of the grassroots nature of agricultural families that the disconnect between the earth and chemical fertilizer impact on the soil is so closely realized.

Since September 2010 people of one Bali village have been rolling up their sleeves and getting down and dirty in their return to organic farming with a side benefit of free methane gas supplying their homes.

“Here in Desa Kerta we wanted to go organic because we learned that people got sick from chemicals. In our past we didn’t use chemicals as fertilizer and people didn’t get sick, so our village is moving to being totally organic,” says Subak (irrigation managers) head Nyoman Suardana of the village of Penyabangan in Bali.

The village’s decision to go organic opened the door to the new technology of making their own biogas from the waste of pigs and cattle raised to produce organic fertilizer for their rice fields and gardens.

In the back yard of Suardana’s modest home, a dozen pigs of varying ages are busily making the methane gas that fuels the stove in his kitchen with unlimited free gas, that Suardana says is non-explosive.

They are also unwittingly creating the valuable fertilizer that this rice farmer believes will improve his rice yield within three years.

The system is simple, waste from the pigs is harvested, mixed with water to form a slurry that passes underground through a set of tanks.

The natural way: The pigs at the heart of the biogas operation offer organic fertilizer, methane gas for cooking and can be sold at a profit.The central tank collects the methane produced from the waste which is then piped into Suardana’s home. In the final septic tank the slurry overflows, is dried and returned to the soil, a closed system that now everyone in his village of 42 homes has invested in.

“I became interested in biogas because the LPG [liquefied petroleum gas] canisters can explode. We see that on TV a lot and that concerned us greatly. Also the price of LPG is going up all the time. We felt that with the LPG canisters you need to be always checking if they are in good condition, we always had to be aware and we were frightened, but with methane it does not explode — if pressure builds up it is released into the air and it’s natural so it does no damage,” says Suardana.

He points out implementing biogas systems and organic faming in his community faced no difficulty because, “our water is still clean, people are not allowed to throw rubbish and plastics into our rivers — we have a fine of Rp 100,000 — so the area is clean.

This comes down to our Subak and Awig Awig being strong and still very active,” says Suardana of the role Subak and Awig Awig [traditional laws] play in protecting the environment.

Up the road a kilometer is the home and organic garden of Ketut Suweno. His garden is laden with oranges, papaya, bananas and coconuts that earn him top dollar as organic produce.

A dozen healthy cattle supply all the fertilizer needed in this veritable garden of Eden, they also supply the 10 cubic meters of methane gas that feeds two families with free gas daily.

Wonders of nature : Literally up to his knees in it, this worker harvests slurry from cattle to fertilize organic gardens after the methane has been piped off to fuel the home’s stove.The positive impact on the lives of people since the introduction of biogas is witnessed in the reduced workload for people like Suweno’s 80-year-old grandmother Ni Wayan Bondol.

“In the past I was not brave enough to light the [LPG] gas stove. I was traumatized by gas because it explodes. Now with biogas I am happy to light the stove and cook. It’s safe and easy. In the past I only cooked on wood fires. Because I was afraid of the LPG exploding, I had to search each morning for firewood in the forest to cook the evening meal, then I had in the afternoon to again hunt for wood to cook the breakfast,” says this elderly woman who now has time to rest.

A local cooperative assists families with the loans of about Rp six million to build their own biogas systems, loans that Suardana says can be repaid from the savings on gas and chemical fertilizer purchases.

“When you look at the money side — you can’t see how much you save, but when you do the figures we see we have the money to reinvest into buying more pigs, these we sell and we don’t pay for gas and fertilizer, so once the loan to build the system is repaid we see we are better off financially,” says Suardana.

His Subak team, with six members trained under the HIVOS foundation (Humanist Institute for Development Cooperation) from Holland with its on the ground wing, the BIRU Foundation (Biogas Rumah Tangah) is now introducing biogas to other nearby villages.

“We are now looking at helping other villages, such as Puhu, to also have their own biogas and organic systems. But the skill share is coming from here [Penyabangan] as we have six people trained in this and certificated by HIVOS,” says Suardana of the quiet achievements being made in environmental protection at the very grassroots of society.

“We want to see this technology introduced Bali wide. This was a test project and it’s very successful. The Governor calls for Bali to be ‘Clean and Green’ — we farmers also want that very much.”

View the original article here

Safety Solutions Tailored to Biogas Plants - Biomass Power and Thermal

In late 2009, a study carried out by the Commission for Plant Safety of the German Federal Environment Ministry revealed critical defects in more than 60 percent of biogas facilities inspected. The study inspectors, which also included TÜV SÜD experts, detected weaknesses not only in the gas and ventilation systems, and regarding explosion protection, but also in component design, structural engineering and organizational measures.

This result confirms that stakeholders in practice still tend to underestimate the scope of required safety measures. Ensuring the safe operation of biogas facilities requires consideration of questions related to the gas, the electrical and the pressure systems. Other significant issues are related to fire safety and lightning protection, and to the layout and planning of escape routes and emergency response plans. Potential hazards to health and the environment also need to be limited.

Responsibility Rests with the Operator

Biogas plants process large quantities of combustible and toxic gases which pose increased fire, explosion or suffocation hazards in case of faults in design, materials or control. In the event of an incident at the plant, people may be injured, property damaged and the environment (air and water) polluted.

In this context, the operators of biogas plants have a high level of responsibility: Their duties include conducting the necessary inspections, ensuring safety and health documentation of sufficient explosion protection and expert training of employees. Operators violating these duties risk that the operation of their plants is no longer in compliance with the law, which may result in a shutdown of the plant and in restriction or even loss of insurance coverage.

Targeted Safety Assessment

Generally, agricultural biogas plants comprise a reception pit for collecting and preparing the slurry, a fermenter in which the biogas is produced, a final digestate storage tank and a combined-heat-and-power (CHP) unit in which the biogas is converted into electricity.

Biogas consists of methane (50 to 80 percent), carbon dioxide (20 to 50 percent), hydrogen sulphide (0.01 to 0.4 percent) and traces of ammonia, hydrogen, nitrogen and carbon monoxide. The constituents of ammonium and hydrogen sulphide are two aggressive chemicals that are constantly in contact with the tank walls, pipes and valves. Given this, the materials used for these components need to be highly resistant to chemicals and maintain this resistance over long periods.

The lower explosion limit (LEL) of methane is 4.4 percent, the upper explosion limit 16.5 percent. In combination with the oxygen in the air, methane concentration in this range can produce an explosive gas mixture. These explosions can cause severe ecological damage, serious injuries to people and damage to property. To ensure effective explosion protection, the gas sensors in the plant should be adjusted to 20 percent of the LEL, equivalent to methane concentration of 0.88 percent.

Carbon dioxide causes dizziness in concentrations between 1 and 5 percent, and rapidly leads to suffocation in concentrations of over 9 percent. People should not be exposed to concentrations higher than 30 to 100 parts per million. Hydrogen sulphide is particularly hazardous. It is perceived as disagreeable at a concentration of 50 milligrams per cubic meter (mg/m3). Concentrations of 150 mg/m3 cause irritation of mucous membranes. And at levels over 500 mg/m3, hydrogen sulphide causes olfactory paralysis and is fatal within minutes.

Apart from suffocation, fire and explosion hazards, leakage of fermentation substrates into water as a result of an incident in a biogas plant may cause severe environmental pollution. In view of the fact that the composition of liquid substrates is hard to control, operators face the challenge of having to dispose of the liquid digestate cost-effectively while also ensuring groundwater protection. As the digestate contains large quantities of water, transportation over long distances does not make good economic sense. Instead, local disposal should be given preference wherever possible.

Individual Assessment

The following applies to agriculture in particular: no two biogas plants are the same. As the responsibility rests with the operators, they must have precise knowledge of the specific requirements applying to their plants and must be able to assess possible hazards in accordance with the applicable laws, which in Germany include the Ordinance on Industrial Safety and Health, the Occupational Health and Safety Act and the Hazardous Substances Ordinance.

Operators must ensure systematic implementation of these occupational health and safety measures. The plant operators must also create an explosion protection document which comprehensively assesses the explosion hazards. An important factor in this context is that the room in which the plant is installed is considered an explosion hazard zone, unless the gas-carrying parts of the plant, including the gas extraction elements and the CHP unit, are permanently technically leak proof in service.

Gas storage tanks with flexible membrane roofs or storage bags must undergo direct leak testing. The pressure applied in this test should be at least 1.5 times the maximum operating pressure or equivalent to the preset value at which the pressure-relief valve opens, whichever of the two values is the higher. It is important that the gas storage tank is appropriately gas-tight and resistant to pressure, chemical media, ultraviolet radiation, temperature and weather influences.

Protection equipment (suitability, wiring) and the planning of the structure and technical systems (material selection and design) must be customized to the specific plant and inspected at regular intervals. Extraction systems, also those installed outside the biogas plant, reliably prevent incidents such as leaking of toxic gases.

Safety and Efficiency

Frequently, comprehensive hazard assessment also helps to uncover hidden potential for savings in the operation of a biogas plant. The objective is to realize the best possible plant design within the framework defined by ordinances, standards and technical rules. By doing so, operators can assess the efficiency and competitiveness of their existing plants more precisely on the one hand, while gaining valuable information for possible future extensions or modernizations on the other.

In this type of systematic assessment, organizational measures are increasingly joining aspects of technical safety in the focus of attention. However, in agricultural biogas plants, organizational measures have frequently not yet been given sufficient emphasis. In the case of an incident at the plant, weaknesses in escape and rescue routes and in the emergency preparedness and response plans of the plant in particular may jeopardize human life.

Emergency response plans first include basic rules on how to behave in the case of a fire (publicly displayed notice). Second, they must establish concrete instructions for all employees on site, addressing measures such as fire prevention and what to do in the case of a fire.

To ensure an effective alarm system, the sensors of automatic gas and fire detectors must be correctly positioned, calibrated, wired and serviced. Practical tests of the alarm systems and emergency drills with staff are imperative in this context. Ensuring that the alarm signals will actually reach all people on the premises is critical in this context.

When planning escape and rescue routes, special attention must be paid to the transition areas between rooms and buildings. Lockable doors in escape routes must be equipped with a specific mechanism ensuring that the door can be opened from the inside even if locked. Manually operated doors must always open in the direction of escape. In addition, steps must be taken to ensure that emergency lighting is both independent from the main supply and explosion-proof (in line with the relevant ATEX zone) and that emergency routes are sign-posted throughout.

Discussing and coordinating the rescue and escape plans with the local fire service is also highly advisable. During plant operation it is imperative that the escape routes are kept free from blockage by objects. This applies all the more as all material stored there may increase the fire loads.

Conclusion

In addition to a detailed and comprehensive occupational health and safety program, the operators of biogas plants must also increasingly focus on system-related and organizational safety measures. The task at hand is to find the ideal plant solution in terms of safety and cost-
effectiveness, while ensuring compliance with ordinances, laws and regulations. TÜV SÜD's experts have long-standing experience in the assessment and inspection of biogas plants and advise operators on plant optimization.

Authors: Johannes Steiglechner
Combustion Systems and Heat Engineering, TÜV SÜD Industrie Service GmbH
Volker Schulz
Biogas Centre of Competence, TÜV SÜD Industrie Service GmbH
+49 (0) 89 5190-1027
feuerung@tuev-sued.de
www.tuev-sued.de/is

View the original article here

(UK implementation is under the DSEAR. See http://atexanddsear.co.uk/ for UK Gas Safety Regulations Compliance assistance. - Editor)

Sime, TNB and Mitsui to study biogas potential at palm oil mills - Malaysia Star (blog)

KUALA LUMPUR: Sime Darby Plantation Sdn Bhd, a unit of Sime Darby Bhd, yesterday signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Malaysia's national power producer, Tenaga Nasional Bhd (TNB), and Japanese industrial conglomerate Mitsui & Co Ltd to conduct a feasibility study on the potential of biogas projects at eight of its palm oil mills spread across Peninsular Malaysia.

The two-year study will involve the technical feasibility, financial viability and undertaking the necessary preliminary development works for implementation of potential biogas power-generation projects.

(Video not related to text.)

“It is a timely study because today the world continues to grapple with the issue of depleting sources of energy and environmental protection,” Sime Darby Plantation executive vice-president Franki Anthony Dass said in his speech.

 ?It is a timely study because today the world continues to grapple with the issue of depleting sources of energy and environmental protection? FRANKI ANTHONY DASS
“We are confident that the result of the study would be positive and that the three parties would come out of the feasibility study with the proper data to generate electricity at our palm oil mills and further strengthen their green credentials.”

If results of the study show commercial viability, TNB will assist in connectivity of the green power generated to the national grid as well as operations and maintenance expertise, while Mitsui will contribute towards technical design and carbon financing.

Sime Darby Plantation, on the other hand, will provide plant sites through the palm oil mills it operates. According to Dass, by then, biogas production for power generation will no longer be constrained in the eight mills involved in the feasibility study, but also in other mills belonging to the company.

Sime Darby Plantation currently has 62 palm oil mills, of which 40 are in Malaysia and the rest in Indonesia.

“The development of renewable energy projects, such as that of biogas, is timely as it contributes towards the Government's aspirations,” TNB chief operation officer Datuk Ir Azman Mohd explained.

At present, the renewable energy industry is still at its infancy stage in Malaysia, contributing less than 1% to the country's total energy mix. But the Government has recently outlined its plan to have renewable energy generating about 5.5%, or 985 megawatt (MW), of the total electricity generated in the country by 2015, and to eventually increase that to 11%, or 2,080MW, by 2020.

TNB, being a front-runner in the renewable energy in the country, has thus far signed 21 renewable energy power-purchase agreements, which account for a total capacity of 291MW, in the country.

View the original article here

Turning waste into compost the modern way - Malaysia Star

When properly handled, waste from gardens, kitchens and farms can give us compost and biogas.

EVERY day, some staffers of the Malaysian Nuclear Agency in Bangi, Selangor, can be seen lugging three-litre thermal food containers ? the type commonly used by nasi lemak sellers to keep rice warm to work. No, it is not their packed lunch inside but something entirely different: leftover food from home.

(Above video may or may not be related to the Cowtech system referred to in the article.)

Research officer Shyful Azizi Abd Rahman had requested that his 50 colleagues in the agrotechnology and bioscience division bring him the food scraps instead of junking them. He even provides them with the containers to make it convenient and, of course, less messy.

All the waste goes into a 60kg composting machine which Shyful is testing out. The Cowtech Composting & Biogas Production Machine breaks down organic waste with the help of bacteria to yield nutrient-rich compost and biogas, an energy source. For the past six months, Shyful has been feeding the machine all kinds of organic discards in order to assess its efficiency, biogas production and the quality of the compost.

"We first tried agricultural waste but the methane is low. We switched to food waste, and the biogas production is very high, about five to six litres a day", he says.

Organic waste, such as those from farms and kitchens, forms some three-quarters of our waste stream and has always been troublesome. Wet and smelly, it also emits methane when degrading in airtight landfills. Composting is one way to treat organic waste but when done traditionally, will take months. Now, new technologies are being introduced to speed up the process and Cowtech is one of them.

Developed in Thailand over 10 years ago, the technology was introduced here last year by CH Green. Company chief executive officer Ang Lee Kaw says unlike other composting machine which yields only compost, the Cowtech system allows the tapping of biogas generated from waste decomposition as well.

The technology has found favour among several local companies which have had to grapple with disposal of organic waste from landscaping work, food production, staff canteens and agriculture.

Smaller carbon footprint

In the Cowtech system, waste is composted anaerobically (without oxygen) inside the composting machine. Methanogenic bacteria (inoculated into the machine during manufacture) break down the waste into compost, while releasing biogas which is typically made up of methane (50% to 70%), carbon dioxide (24% to 50%), hydrogen sulphide (3% or so) and small amounts of nitrogen, hydrogen and oxygen.

The biogas is piped through a scrubber containing iron wool to filter out most of the carbon dioxide and hydrogen sulphide (which is corrosive), leaving behind a 60% content of methane. This is good enough for direct heating (in stoves and lamps) and in a gen-set to generate electricity. (To use biogas in vehicles, the methane content must reach 80%).

After a retention time of some 15 days, you can harvest the resulting compost, a sludgy slurry (because of high moisture content in food waste,) rich in nutrients welcomed by plants and soil.

The 60kg/day Cowtech composting machine at the Malaysian Nuclear Agency is more for trial runs to assess the technology.

More importantly, the system prevents emission of methane from organic waste dumped in landfills. ?We keep the methane and use it, such as for cooking,? says Ang. ?Flaring (burning) methane is better than releasing it into the air as it has 21 times more global warming potential than carbon dioxide.?

The beauty of the Cowtech system, according to Ang and Shyful, is that it uses little energy. When waste is fed into the machine, the motor needs to run for only about 20 minutes for the mixing. After that, the bacteria get down to work. The machine is turned on only at the next feeding. If there is no electricity, there is a crank to manually churn the waste. Ang calculates the electricity consumption of a 100kg a day machine to be a mere RM1.40.

?You don?t want a system that needs electricity, he says. ?Long hours of heating defeat the purpose of reducing greenhouse gases.?

The system is self-sustaining, he adds, as the digesting bacteria requires no top-up because of the continuous operation. He says in some composting machines, you have to constantly replenish the micro-organisms and maintain a high temperature by heating.

Ang says the Cowtech machine works best at temperatures of around 30?C; so the machine should preferably be placed in or near open shade. The digestion process slows down during wet days and at lower temperatures. He assures us of the safety of the system. ?Biogas is light, so it quickly disperses if leaked. The pressure of the tank is under 2psi, so it will not explode. It is not like LPG (liquid petroleum gas, the normal household cooking gas) which is kept at high pressure and compressed.?

Another safety feature is the water jacket (a layer of water that surrounds the fermentation chamber); any leaked gas will just bubble through the water. An alarm will trigger in the event of a gas leak.

Eco-remedy

Shyful sees promise in the technology as it not only prevents methane discharges but reduces waste at source.

It works well in our warm climate and should be encouraged here. We will try to promote it in critical areas of waste management such as markets and hawker centres, so that waste is managed properly in these places.?

He says the Science, Technology And Innovation Ministry intends to place the machine at some 30 sites, such as in flats, residential areas, food courts and markets, and the community will be trained to run the machine. The first site will be at a market in Tangkak, Johor. The 150kg or so discarded daily will be composted and the gas piped to several hawker stalls.

?The traders now pay daily for waste collection ... this will reduce their waste management costs,? says Shyful.

From his trial runs on the machine, he has figured out areas requiring attention: a better filter, design improvements and better gas storage tank. The tank is important ? it acts as a buffer as gas production fluctuates during decomposition.

As for which composting method is preferable, aerobic (degradation with oxygen) or anaerobic (degradation without oxygen), Shyful says it all depends on the purpose. ?If you want to produce only compost, then use an aerobic digester as composting is quicker. To produce biogas, you need an anaerobic digester.?

The Cowtech system costs from RM39,000 for a 10kg unit to RM235,000 for a 500kg one. Many find this daunting but Ang says one could exploit the Government?s incentive for green technology.

?Under the Accelerated Capital Allowance for Environmental Management, companies using environmental protection equipment are eligible for an initial allowance of 40% and an annual allowance of 20% on the qualifying capital expenditure. The full amount can be written off within three years.?

Ang is hopeful that such fiscal support will encourage more Malaysian companies to compost their waste instead of dumping it. He says in Thailand, the technology has enabled hotels, hospitals, canteens, food outlets, hypermarkets, municipal markets, farms and factories to be responsible for their own waste.

The Baan Nam Kiang Din restaurant in Bangkok, for instance, has a 800kg compost machine to handle its food waste. A Tesco hypermarket in Bangkok also has one, and it sells the biogas to operators in the food court.

In a bid to better inform the public of this waste-reduction technology and for R&D purposes, Ang provides small-capacity compost machines to schools and universities.

Eager to share this knowhow, he says: ?Possible wealth can be generated from various kinds of organic, yard and garden wastes, with appropriate and innovative technology, while practising sustainable environmental initiatives.?

For more information, go to chgreenz.com.

Related Story:
Companies get into composting act

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Dutch Based Water Treatment and Energy Technology Company Paques Closes 2010 Positively

Paques, the water treatment, and anaerobic digestion for energy production, technology provider which has completed hundreds of anaerobic purification installations which according to their web site produce a total amount of biogas which is sufficient to meet the natural gas requirements of a city with 1.4 million inhabitants (about twice the size of Amsterdam), has today announced good company growth figures.

The water technology company from the Netherlands says that it ended 2010 well. The order intake increased by about 25% to almost 54 million euro, bringing it back to the level before the financial crisis. Both turnover and net profit remained virtually unchanged compared to 2009.

These figures are the consolidated result of the operational activities of Paques Balk in the Netherlands and Paques Shanghai in China. Paques Shanghai has continued the growth of the previous years. 2010 was still a difficult year for the operation in the Netherlands due to a reserved investment policy of customers.

However, trading conditions have evidently been improving, and in the Paques press release they report that a strong recovery was observed in the fourth quarter.

Because this growth continues in the first quarter of 2011, it seems that the recovery is structural in particularly Europe and North America.

They also report an optimistic outlook with good demand for technologies that provide solutions for water scarcity, and that production of green energy is expected to increase. Therefore, they are looking with confidence to the future where and they will continue to focus on innovation and market development with a strong focus on local presence in growth markets, Managing Director Rob Heim has stated.

Also on their web site, the well established company notes that it is converting biogas into electricity through its technology in impressive quantities already.

Its projects generate approximately 3,000,000 MWh of electrical power per year, representing a value of 2 to 3 hundred million euro per year. In less than a single year, they say that efficient use of biogas can result in a full return on investment!

As many more people are realizing, the combination of environmental and economical value characterize biogas as a very attractive source of green energy.

Read more here.

Consultant Secures green light for Kent waste treatment plant

Release date: 23rd March 2011

SLR Consulting has assisted waste management and recycling company Countrystyle Recycling to secure planning approval for a waste treatment and recycling plant at Sellindge near Folkestone.

The proposed facility in East Kent will treat up to 20,000 tonnes of organic waste a year using Anaerobic Digestion technology while a Material Recycling Facility will deal with around 75,000 tonnes of dry recyclable material.

The green light for the scheme was given by Kent County Council (KCC) councillors who voted 14 - 3 in favour of the plans, which had previously been recommended for approval by planning officers. Proposals for the site, located on a redundant quarry and asphalt production site on the A20, near Folkestone, have been the focus of considerable local opposition.

SLR Technical Director Nigel Cronin, spoke on behalf of Countrystyle in the three-hour debate that preceded the vote:

"We were keen to emphasise that the new plant would ensure that locally generated waste would no longer need to be transported 30 miles away to be landfilled and that the scheme is in accordance with National, Regional and Kent County Council local policies for the location of waste management facilities."

Otterpool is one of several waste projects that SLR has helped steer through to planning approval in Kent and the South East in the last year. The multi-disciplinary consultancy carried out all the planning and environmental impact assessment work for the development which covered traffic, air quality, landscape, groundwater and noise impacts - all of which were of local concern.

Niall Cormac-Walshe, Technical Director at Countrystyle said:

"We have been continually impressed by SLR's expertise in guiding the scheme through a lengthy planning process which has resulted in KCC's approval and we look forward to working with them through the next stage of the development programme"

Weltec develops biogas plant in Latvia - BioEnergy News

Weltec develops biogas plant in Latvia

8 April 2011

Germany-based biogas plant manufacturer Weltec Biopower is developing its second biogas plant in the city of Limbaži, Latvia.

Upon completion the plant will generate 500kW power. The 3,500m3 fermenter will feed in the power from July 2011 and plans for expanding the plant with another fermenter are already underway.

The biogas facility will handle 3,500 tonnes of cattle manure, 1,900 tonnes of cow waste, 500 tonnes of whole plant silage, 300 tonnes of grass silage and 7,000 tonnes of maize silage.

The 88m3 stainless-steel storage tank is heated and the two 250kW gas-powered engines will produce biogas for 8,000 hours a year.

View the original article here

Global Biogas Plants Market to Reach $8.98 Billion by 2017

The Global Biogas Plants Market is to Reach $8.98 Billion by 2017, according to New Report by Global Industry Analysts, Inc. -

Biogas is a clean gas obtained from biomass, a renewable energy resource derived from food processing wastes, sewage treatment sludge, as well as animal and human excreta. Narrowing cost differential between fossil fuels based electricity generation and biogas energy in recent years has further augmented interest in renewable resources. Today, biogas competes on par with petroleum-based fuels in terms of performance, cost, and other additional benefits such as reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions.

Biogas is primarily used as a fuel for cooking and lighting purposes in various countries, whilst a key motivating factor for development of liquid biofuels is to replace petroleum fuels. Advances in biotechnology, molecular science, and microbiology contributed to enhancements in biogas yields production, which led to the development of commercial biogas plant. Biogas plants can convert energy crops, organic industrial and municipal solid waste, and manure, into efficient fertilizer and reduce the odors associated with traditional manure management. In terms of both consumption and production of biogas, Europe is ahead of the other nations mainly due to increased government regulation for environment friendly initiatives. Although, Europe dominates biogas production, the trend is also catching up fast in countries like Japan, Australia, New Zealand and the US. The Asia-Pacific biogas plants market is displaying strong appetite for growth, thanks to the continuous infrastructure development and business expansion in the region, especially in the emerging markets such as China and India.

The recent worldwide economic recession has not had much impact on the global biogas plants market, as the prospects for such emerging renewable energy technology are stored for future. The growing clamor over cleaner and environmental friendly energy technologies is offering new market opportunities for alternative energy solutions such as biogas. However, biogas plant market is resilient and not immune from the business cycle. Recent turmoil in the global credit markets, and substantial reductions in asset value across business enterprises and households resulted in reduced energy requirements and difficulties in obtaining finance for biogas and other renewable energy projects. This coupled with poorly performing foreign markets and high substrate prices that reached its peak in September 2008, scuttled all previously set targets. At the same time, the cost of natural gas delivered to electric power plants declined in 2009 to nearly half the 2008 level and that coupled with significant expansions of pipelines capacity had cast downward pressure on biogas prices. Government stimulus packages proved to be the silver lining from the downturn in the global economy. Various government policies, in terms of subsidies, incentives and investments by the biopower companies shielded the biogas plants market from the devastating effect of crisis.

As stated by the new market research report, Europe and United States accounts for a lion's share of the global biogas
plants market. Biogas plants market is primarily localized in Europe, with Germany accounting for a major share of the global production and consumption, while the UK, Italy and Spain represent other significant regional markets. While the continued difficult economic scenario is a factor to consider, the industry trends bear out an optimistic assessment, as fundamental market drivers for renewable technologies continue to remain strong. Innovations will continue in processes and feedstocks, while companies, government, and academic institutions pour in funds and expertise to support research and development in the field of renewables.

Israel - Treasury official halts biogas plan - Globes

The Ministry of Finance representative at the Public Utilities Authority (Electricity) earlier this week blocked approval of regulations for the generation of electricity from biogas. The Public Utilities Authority was due to set a 160 megawatt quota for biogas facilities using municipal and agricultural waste.

According to the principles of the hearing, published in October 2010, the government would pay biogas ventures a relatively low rate of NIS 0.60 per kw/h, compare with NIS 1.55 per kw/h promised for small photovoltaic energy facilities.

However, the Ministry of Finance representative, Udi Adiri, said that a 2009 cabinet decision required the cabinet to first decide on the quota. He therefore decided not to approve the arrangement at this time.

Published by Globes [online], Israel business news - http://www.globes-online.com/ - on April 7, 2011

? Copyright of Globes Publisher Itonut (1983) Ltd. 2011

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New UK Biogas Plant to Strengthen the Market

The biogas plant at Staples Vegetables is now in operation and will help expand biogas production in the UK.

On 1 March 2011, Xergi handed over a new biogas plant to one of Britain's largest vegetable producers at Wrangle, near Boston in Lincolnshire.

The new plant is the first of five biogas plants to receive support from WRAP, the British Waste Recycling Action Programme. Colin Steel, Xergi's Country Manager UK, predicts that the opening of this plant will help expand biogas production in the UK.

"Potential investors in new biogas plants are hesitant and they are keen to ensure that these plants work as they should. There is no doubt that the opening of this plant will help speed up the establishment of new biogas plants in the UK," says Colin Steel. He notes that the new plant has attracted a great deal of interest from the British biogas industry.

He expects that the plant will also strengthen Xergi's position in the British biogas market, where there are many new projects in the pipeline. According to the British website Horticulture Week, there are plans to build more than 30 new biogas plants in the UK.

Waste is converted into energy and fertiliser
Staples Vegetables, as one of the UK's largest privately owned vegetable producers, supplies most of the main supermarkets. Every year the company produces a large quantity of vegetable waste which until recently was of no value to the company.

The biogas plant makes it possible to extract biogas from the waste and use the gas to produce energy in the form of electricity, heat and cooling. The plant will run on vegetable waste and maize silage, and the plant will process a total annual quantity of biomass of approx. 26,000 tons.

The biogas plant has capacity to produce 1.4 MW electricity and is expected to produce just over 11 million kWh electricity a year.

Staples Vegetables itself will use a large proportion of the electricity produced, but the plant will also supply green electricity to the National Grid corresponding to the annual consumption of 1,500 households. Surplus heat from electricity production will be used to heat the company's offices during the winter months, although most will be used to cool the company's warehouses. The cooling system is a heat absorption cooling system, which converts the energy in hot water into cooling.

Xergi has supplied a plant with the most advanced technology, including, for example, new technology to feed the reactor tanks with biomass, and for electronic monitoring and control of the processes inside the plant. The new technologies were a prerequisite to qualify for WRAP funding.

According to plan
Project Manager Steffen Busk Nielsen says that the Xergi project is running entirely according to plan.
The biological processes inside the biogas plant were started up in November 2010. By January, there was sufficient biogas production in the plant to start the plant's gas engine for the first time, which meant that production of electricity and heat could also begin. The absorption cooling system will be commissioned at a later date.

More here...

Biogas Plant In California Fueled By Landfill - EarthTechling

by Susan DeFreitas, February 9th, 2011

We’ve been hearing more and more in recently about biogas, and the trend continues in California, where Republic Services and Ameresco have announced plans for a 4.3 megawatt (MW) capacity landfill gas-to-electricity plant at the Vasco Road Landfill in Livermore.

Video shows an Amersco Methane Plant on another landfill.

Ameresco–which plans to capture the landfill gas generated at the plant and use it as fuel to generate power for homes and businesses in the Santa Clara and San Francisco Bay Area–has entered into a 20-year power purchase agreement with Silicon Valley Power, the City of Santa Clara’s electric utility, for the power from the project. This will help Silicon Valley Power meet its renewable energy obligations under California’s Renewable Portfolio Standard, which mandates that utilities serve 33 percent of their total load with renewable energy by 2020.

Republic Services is no stranger to landfill gas plants in California, having completed six of them already with a total generating capacity of 41 MW. Brian Bales, executive vice president business development for Republic, noted, in a statement, that in addition to converting gas from a landfill into renewable-based electricity, the project’s construction and operation will add new green jobs and economic benefits to the local economy.

The Vasco Road Landfill gas plant is scheduled to commence operations in late 2012.

Related Stories Tags Ameresco, biogas, california, Republic Services

View the original article here

Conergy sells biogas projects - Renewable Energy Focus

VERBIO biogas plant feeds into German grid

VERBIO Vereinigte Bioenergie AG’s biogas plant in Zörbig, Saxony-Anhalt, Germany, is now feeding into MITGAS Netz’ high pressure gas grid. Looking at biogas in Central Europe.

Note: Video and article are not associated.

Biogas could be an important part of EU’s 2020 targets for renewable energy, and the EU project Sustainable and Innovative European Biogas Environment (SEBE) is now looking at technology and regulatory frameworks for biogas. Europe adopts report on biomass sustainability

The European Commission has adopted a report on sustainability requirements for the use of solid biomass and biogas in electricity, heating and cooling, concluding that more detailed legislation is not necessary at this stage. Growth in biogas predicted in Germany

About 760 biogas plants were connected to the German national electricity grid in 2009 - three times the number in 2007 - according to estimates by the German Biogas Association. This is around 100 times more than exist in the UK. Introduction to feed-in tariffs

The feed-in tariff is often held up as a ‘must’ for renewable energy to succeed. David Jacobs explores feed-in tariffs in all shapes and forms, and illustrates what should be taken into consideration when designing them.

11 February 2011

Conergy AG, based in Hamburg, Germany, announces that it has sold its biogas subsidy EUPRON to RES Projects, specialists in biomethane installation.

With this sale RES Projects will acquire a number of biogas ventures at different developmental levels amounting to more than 23 MW of energy being generated from biogas activities.

These new biogas projects are to be installed in the next few years and will be mainly located in Germany.

This article was featured in:
Bioenergy

View the original article here

EPA publishes its top 50 green power purchasers - Power-Gen Worldwide

Published: Feb 11, 2011 The US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has released its list of the top 50 partner organizations using the most on-site renewable electricity, under its Green Power Partnership.

The Green Power Partnership works with more than 1300 partner organizations to voluntarily purchase green power to reduce the environmental impacts of conventional electricity use.

Overall, partners are using more than 19 TWh of green power annually.In the specialized, on-site renewables category, the top 50 list is headed by the Kimberley-Clark Corporation, which uses on-site biomass plants to supply 180 GWh per year, or around 7%, of its total electricity use.

The City of San Diego uses on-site biogas, small-scale hydro and solar technologies to supply 70 GWh per year, more than a quarter of its total electricity use.

Third place is taken by the US Air Force, which uses biogas, solar and on-site wind to supply 62 GWh per year, although this represents just 1% of its total electricity use.The next largest users of on-site renewables are Wal-Mart Stores,

BMW Manufacturing and the City of San Jose.Among the entities with the largest proportion of total electricity use sourced from on-site renewables are the Encina Wastewater Authority and the City of Tulare wastewater treatment plant, which use biogas to generate 63% and 38% of their total electricity use.

Other partner organizations of note are the hair product manufacturer Zotos International, which uses on-site wind to generate 60% of its total use; and the City of Ann Arbor, which generates nearly a third of its total electricity use from biogas, small-scale hydro and solar technologies.

View the original article here

Largest biogas plant opens in the Netherlands - BioEnergy News

Largest biogas plant opens in the Netherlands - 8 February 2011

The 7 February 2011 saw Dutch fish processing company A van de Groep open its biogas plant.




We could not find a video about the plant referred to in this article so we decided to include the video above of another Dutch anaerobic-digestion project.

Located in Spakenburg, the Netherlands, the facility is one of the largest in the nation. It has enough capacity to provide 3,500 households with gas.

At the plant, fish and other food waste is converted into 6 million m3 of renewable energy annually. That is 6% of the total biogas produced in the Netherlands.

View the original article here

SoCalGas, Escondido demonstrate biogas technology - Biomass Power and Thermal

Southern California Gas Co. (SoCalGas) and the city of Escondido in southern California have begun testing a biogas purification technology at the city’s wastewater treatment plant that, if successful proved, would allow the gas to be directly injected into a natural gas pipeline.




The above video is not associated with the article, but we thought it would be of interest to our readers.

What makes the system unique in nature is that instead of burning or flaring the methane without generating energy, which is currently done at the facility and is typical at wastewater treatment plants because the gas is not suitable for pipelines, the pressure swing adsorption system takes the raw gas originating from sewage, upgrades and purifies it through a multistate process to meet pipeline-quality gas standards for direct injection. Quebec-based Xebec Adsorption Inc. provided the technology.

Denise King, SoCalGas spokeswoman, said the company has been working with the city for more than a year on the project, which is being funded by the company’s research and development group. “We’re testing this technology and validating that it can consistently, reliably produce methane gas that meets the stringent California gas standards for injection into the pipeline system,” she said. Testing will continue for the next 12 months.

With completion of the demo project, there are a number of options as to what the next step will be, a likely one is that the city will choose to commercialize the equipment and keep it on site, according to King.

If the city makes that decision, some other costs would be involved, including an interconnection with the pipeline system, but it would eventually save ratepayers money.

 “We’re very excited about this project, because it’s the first in California and there’s only one other similar project in the U.S.,” King said. “If the technology proves itself, it would open up a whole new market for renewable natural gas that could be used by electric utilities to create green power. Yesterday [the system] was producing 99.9 percent methane, and that’s exactly what we want and expect.”

SoCalGas has been closely evaluating the potential for a renewable natural gas market, according to King. “We’re looking to help create the market, talking with dairies, wastewater treatment facilities and others that have organic waste. “

The opportunities to transform organic waste into power are seemingly boundless, King points out. For example, Gills Onion, the largest onion producer in California, uses its waste to produce energy to power fuel cells on-site. “In California, there’s probably enough organic waste to produce 16 percent of the state’s energy,” King said. “We think this is a growing market, and we’re working to help make it happen.”

View the original article here

Gasification of Forest Wastes Set to Produce Biogas in Gothenburg - Waste Management World

11 February 2011

Sustainable technology specialist, Metso has won a 30 million Euro order to supply a gasifier to Swedish energy supplier, G?teborg GoBiGas20MW project.

The video above may not be associated with this article.

The GoBiGas20MW project aims to use gasification of forest waste and biofuels to produce bioga. A demo gasification plant is scheduled to be built in two stages to demonstrate the technology of the green gas concept.

The first stage will supply around 20MW gas, and is due to be operational in early 2013.

Stage one is to be built in the Rya harbour, on the same site as the existing Rya hot water plant. The plan for the location of Stage 2 is on a nearby plot of land with jetty access.

G?teborg Energi say that the location was chosen so that the plant is close to a hub for Gothenburg's electricity, gas and district heating, and also allows a long-term and flexible fuel reception because it has the potential for both ship and rail transport. Cooling water to the process can be taken from adjacent G?ta River.

Metso will be involved in the first stage when the gasification plant is built on the existing premises of Rya V?rmecentral in Gothenburg, Sweden. The final plant will have a capacity of approximately 100 MW biogas, and an operating period of 8000 hours per year.

Ownership and responsibility for operating the plant will be transferred to GoBiGas AB, mainly owned by G?teborg Energi AB.

With forest residue and wood pellets as the main fuels, the gasification system, together with the subsequent methanation and up-grading system, will produce high-calorific gas, biomethane, for distribution in the existing gas grid.

"We see a huge market potential for biogas in replacing fossil alternatives and our mission is to show that gasification can play an important role in biogas supply", says ?sa Burman, CEO of the GoBiGas project.

"The quality of the gasification is essential for the success of the project and with the equipment from Metso together with the selected methanation and gas-upgrading technology we are now able to proceed to the next step, building the plant in order to meet our targets to replace natural gas by synthetic natural gas - from fossil energy to renewable energy".

Metso says that its gasification solution is based on new licensed technology for indirect gasification developed by Austrian company REPOTEC.

View the original article here

The Final Product Of Biomass Energy

Utilization of biomass as an alternative energy source has attracted people to promote its use. This is caused by a decline in fossil energy reserves. This is a dangerous point for energy security in the last decade.




To avoid future energy crises, they began to increase use of renewable energy sources such as biomass. More than that, the use of fossil fuels increases the concentration of sulfur and greenhouse gases in nature.

Governments in various countries around the world have adopted policies favorable to the use of biomass as an energy alternative. So that industry players will get a subsidy from the government.

Biomass can be used as energy with a wide variation. Utilization of biomass produces electricity, heat for industrial facilities, home heating and fuels vehicle.

Conversion of biomass for energy is called bio-energy. This conversion can be achieved with some solutions that thermochemical and biochemical technologies. Thermochemical process is divided into three technology solutions are combustion, gasification and pyrolysis.

To understand the meaning of each Technology solution, we can learn from the final product On combustion, have the final product steam, process heat and electricity energy. Each has its own type of function. Steam can be used to drive steam engines, while the heat can be used for processing in the chemical industries.

The final products of electric can be used more flexibly. This product of gasification is the steam, the process of heat, electrical energy and methane gas fuel and hydrogen. Methane and hydrogen can be used as a fuel cell system. This system is increasingly popular as the technology of the future.

Pyrolysis technology solutions, has the final product is charcoal, coal and bio-gas fuel. Charcoal and bio-coal can be an analogy as coal but more environmentally friendly. This is because emissions from the production of bio-coal and charcoal lower than coal. Biochemical process produces anaerobic digestion the technology solution. This technology has the final product of ethanol, water for irrigation, compost and biogas.

Nugroho Agung Pambudi has been writing articles including papers for nearly 3 years now. His journal papers can be reached both international journal and conference. Come visit his latest website at http://www.geothermalheatingandcooling.us which help people find information about geothermal heating and cooling

The New Waste Technologies: Recycling and Creating Energy From Waste

Many governments, towns and communities throughout the Western world are making new rules concerning the treatment of Municipal Solid waste (MSW). New concepts of waste management are needed in which the idea of recycling is of major importance.

Incineration will be used for the easily burnable fraction of what cannot be recycled, and for some kinds of hazardous wastes such as hospital waste, while the left over will be disposed of in sanitary MSW landfills.

The recycling of products is best done at source by the public when they put their waste out for collection and this is called source separation. However, if the waste is mixed up when collected it can still be separated again by mechanical separation plants or by hand picking using human labour and a conveyor.

The plants in which the separation of mixed wastes is carried out are usually called Mechanical Bioligical Treatment Plants, or MBTs. These plants cost a lot to build, are expensive to run. They also use a lot of power which reduces the value of recycling by expending non-renewable energy in the process.

The last decade has seen source separation introduced in many countries, especially in Scandinavia, Germany, the Netherlands, Switzerland, Austria and Canada. Now, more recently source separation is being implemented in the United Kingdom and the rest of Europe now that European Waste Regulations require so much of the MSW produced not to be landfilled.

The most important reasons to separate waste at the source are:

- The difficulty to find sites for new landfills and the negative attitude of the public towards landfilling and incinerating.

- Source separation improves the quality of the products which will have to be recycled. The fact that the organic fraction is separated from the inorganic fraction means that the organic fraction will have a low concentration of heavy metals and will be free of metals, glass and stones, while the inorganic fraction will be drier and less dirty.

The degree of recycling which can be achieved depends of the system used for source separation but it is the highest if the separated waste is picked up at the houses in separate containers.

A high percentage of recycling can only be achieved though by recycling the organic fraction of MSW whereby anaerobic techniques such as the anaerobic digestion process are very promising since they not only produce a humus-like residue, comparable to the compost produced in aerobic conversion techniques, but also a form of energy, biogas, which can be easily upgraded to several forms of valuable energy.

So, by source separating your waste you can make a difference - especially if there is an Anaerobic digestor in your area.

Why not find out more about waste technologies, and encourage your friends to recycle. Your children and later generations will benefit - don't they deserve the same opportunities you had?

Steve Last is a regular contributor of waste management related articles. Visit http://www.waste-technology.co.uk, the Waste Technology Web Site to find out more.

He also maintains a dog breed and many others at The Dog Breeds Compendium Tibetan Terrier page.

The Use of Biogas

Changing the way the earth is affected by the consumption of oil is a top priority for many right now. It is a global concern that directly affects each and every person for many generations to come. Reducing the consumption of fossil fuels can be done in many ways. The alternatives to petroleum gasoline vary from green vehicles to different fuel sources altogether. Biogas is another way that vehicles and machinery can be powered as an alternative to burning fossil fuels. It is currently undergoing investigation and study in the hopes that it may one day be a leading energy source.




Biogas is created during the breaking down of organic waste inside a landfill. It is called anaerobic digestion. Organic matter such as plant life releases the gas after it has been buried without any oxygen for awhile. A landfill will actually generate biogas for many years after the organic waste has been buried. This gas has been proven to be effective in producing energy that can be used to power cars. There are now landfills designed just for the purpose of creating biogas.

Biogas is actually made up of several different types of gases. The two primary gases found in biogas are carbon dioxide and methane. Along with that can be various traces of oxygen, hydrogen and nitrogen. The biogas does have to be put through a cleaning process before it can be used. Once it is ready though it could possibly power everything from cars to businesses. It can even be used for cooking.

Collecting biogas from the landfill is a pretty large task. It involves the use of gas wells which have to be drilled to properly obtain the biogas. The cost involved in this can be quite substantial which may be one of the downfalls to the use of this fuel source. Sweden is currently running a train solely on biogas between the cities Linkoeping and Vaestervik. The biogas used in the train is derived primarily from the waste of cattle and sewage. It certainly is interesting to see how waste can be made into something viable and useful.

Biogas certainly has other great attributes. It has far less carbon dioxide than diesel and gasoline. The emissions do not contain any of the same toxins and fossil fuels. If it could be obtained easier then perhaps it would be useful to the general public. However, even the best resources will have disadvantages. There are many pollutants that can be found in the burning of biogas which makes it an environmental risk. There is also a really high risk of bacteria because the management of it can be very sensitive. Production of biogas is not a simple process at all. The hard work involved does make biogas rather difficult to obtain.

Biogas simply is not common enough for public consumption at this point. Perhaps with more time and work it could
become something that would be a great option that would also help the earth. Biogas remains a fantastic option that is still better than fossil fuels.

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What is Biogas?

It seems like everywhere you look there are more and more fossil fuel alternatives being investigated. From ethanol to air, literally everything has been considered. Biogas is another one of these possibilities.




It might be a term that is not familiar to some but it is not all that new of a resource because it is completely natural. Biogas comes from the anaerobic digestion of organic matter. In simple terms, this means that organic waste is compressed in a certain way that creates biogas which can be used as fuel. In fact, it is so natural that it almost makes one wonder why we did not consider using it sooner.

Biogas is created in landfills. When organic matter such as compost or natural waste is buried without oxygen, it starts to create a gas. This is biogas and it can be contained and used to produce energy. A landfill that is properly designed will produce biogas for several years. This gas is released into the earth's atmosphere, so it just makes sense that harnessing it and making use of it would be a better solution. As far as natural resources go, this might be one of the best.

For the most part biogas is made up of carbon dioxide and methane. However, quite often there are also varying quantities of hydrogen, oxygen, nitrogen and various other natural gases. Special wells have to be drilled in order to properly get biogas out of a landfill. It is a much more efficient way of capturing all of the gas. At this time there is a train in Sweden that is currently powered by biogas. The use of sewage and cow waste is the primary fuel source for that train. It has been determined that biogas has virtually no trace of toxic emissions in comparison with fossil fuels.

There are several great benefits to using biogas as fuel. Not only does it produce much needed energy but it also eliminates all of the organic waste in landfills by giving it a purpose. This in turn also improves conditions in landfills regarding insects and the reduction of pathogens. Reducing the amount of methane in the earth's atmosphere is also a good idea which biogas helps with as well. Those that are interested in the benefits of biogas should do the necessary research in order to understand it better. As consumers and members of this earth, we all must do our part to make an educated choice.

There are a handful of disadvantages associated with biogas as well. The actual product value of biogas is incredibly low, which does not necessarily make it economically feasible. The process that is required to obtain biogas can also be quite expensive since special wells must be drilled. There is also reason to believe that some of the gases in biogas are corrosive to
metal. This can be a problem because metal is a major component of automobile engines. Weighing the benefits and disadvantages is necessary in order to conclude if biogas will work for you.

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What You Should Know Green Energy

Green energy refers to the use of power that is not only more efficient than fossil fuel but that is friendly to the environment as well. Green energy is generally defined as energy sources that dont pollute and are renewable.

There are several categories of green energy. They are anaerobic digestion, wind power, geothermal power, hydropower on a small scale, biomass power, solar power and wave power. Waste incineration can even be a source of green energy.




Nuclear power plants claim that they produce green energy as well, though this source is fraught with controversy, as we all know. While nuclear energy may be sustainable, may be considered renewable and does not pollute the atmosphere while it is producing energy, its waste does pollute the biosphere as it is released.

The transport, mining and phases before and after production of nuclear energy does produce and release carbon dioxide and similar destructive greenhouse gases. When we read of green energy, therefore, we rarely see nuclear power included.

Those who support nuclear energy say that nuclear waste is not, in fact, released into our earths biosphere during its normal production cycle. They stress as well that the carbon dioxide that nuclear energy production releases is comparable, in terms of each kilowatt hour of electricity, to such sources of green energy as wind power.

As an example of the green energy production the average wind turbine, such as the one in Reading England, can produce enough energy daily to be the only energy source for 1000 households.

Many countries now offer household and commercial consumers to opt for total use of green energy. They do this one of two ways. Consumers can buy their electricity from a company that only uses renewable green energy technology, or they can buy from their general supplies such as the local utility company who then buys from green energy resources only as much of a supply as consumers pay for.

The latter is generally a more cost - efficient way of supplying a home or office with green energy, as the supplier can reap the economic benefits of a mass purchase. Green energy generally costs more per kilowatt hour than standard fossil fuel energy.

Consumers can also purchase green energy certificates, which are alternately referred to as green tags or green certificates. These are available in both Europe and the United States, and are the most convenient method for the average consumer to support green energy. More than 35 million European households and one million American households now buy these green energy certificates.

While green energy is a great step in the direction of keeping our environment healthy and our air as pollutant free as possible, it must be noted that no matter what the energy, it will negatively impact the environment to some extent.

Every energy source, green or otherwise, requires energy. The production of this energy will create pollution during its manufacture. Green energys impact is minimal, however.

James Copper owns www.propertycareerskills.co.uk who offer energy training and assessment.

Sludge in Wastewater - How it is Made Safe For Disposal

During sewage treatment, a thick residue is obtained, known as sludge. This is the primary sludge in wastewater. It gives off a strong and offensive odor. Sludge thus obtained can't be disposed of unless it is treated again. In this article, I discuss how this sludge can be treated and made safe for disposal.

Sludge settles at the bottom of the tank during the primary treatment process. This is called Primary Sludge. It gives off a strong and offensive odor. Secondary treatment, to dispose off sludge, is done by making use of the microorganisms left in the sludge, in wastewater, after the primary treatment. Hence the Secondary Sludge thus obtained is rich in microorganisms. The sludge in wastewater is then treated with an aim to stabilize the sludge contents. This causes a reduction in odor. This treatment is also aimed at reducing the volume of the sludge. This is achieved by reducing the water content of the sludge. Further reduction in volume is achieved by encouraging the microorganisms to breakdown the organic matter present in the sludge. The next step in the treatment of the sludge is to disinfect the sludge. This is accomplished by killing the pathogenic microorganisms left in the sludge.




Almost 97 percent of the sludge obtained by primary treatment of sewage is actually water. To reduce the volume of this sludge, it is allowed to settle. The heavier matter settles to the bottom and the surface liquid is decanted off to obtain the residue.

To separate the water from the sludge there are several techniques that can be employed. These include filter presses, sand drying beds, centrifuges and vacuum filters. By using any of these processes, the water content is reduced; it is then 50 to 80 percent of the sludge. Dry sludge is obtained as a result in the form of sludge cakes.

To further reduce the volume of this sludge, both aerobic and anaerobic digestive processes are employed in decomposing the organic matter in the sludge. A benefit of this digestive process is the stabilization of the sludge which results in the reduction of odor. This sludge is treated again to eliminate harmful microorganisms present, through the use of caustic chemicals. After this treatment, the sludge residue in both liquid and cake form is used as a fertilizer, and spread in fields; the organic matter and nutrients present in the sludge are returned to the soil, in theory. But in practice, Environmental Protection Agencies object to this, as they are unsure of the quality of sludge as manure. Also, very few markets accept such sludge as manure.

The treated effluent from the wastewater treatment plant is discharged into receiving water bodies. To protect these water bodies from contamination, it is essential to carefully manage the treatment process. The incoming influent at the treatment plant, the process of treatment, and the final effluent to be discharged should all be carefully monitored and measured by well trained and certified operators.

There are alternative technologies these days to such sludge production, viz., by digesting the biological sludge.

Want a FREE eBook on a new wastewater treatment technology? Want to learn everything you need to know about wastewater treatment including how to treat the sludge in wastewater? Click here: http://www.all-about-wastewater-treatment.com

Rod Nash is the President of Geostar Publishing  Services LLC. Rod loves net research & blogging. His new blog on Wastewater Treatment is fast becoming popular, as it is comprehensive and well-researched.

Safety And Health Aspects - Waste Water

Generally, all waste-water treatment works, irrespective of their size, have to comply with strict governmental safety and regulations acts. It is the responsibility of the owner or local authority to be fully acquainted with all aspects of the safety guidelines for waste-water treatment operations. The potential danger of an explosion of biogas and air mixtures cannot be over- emphasised, therefore units such as the waste gas burner should preferably be situated at least 15 m away from the gas holder, digester(s) or any buildings, together with due consideration to the prevailing wind.




The health hazards associated with the treatment of waste-water and specifically sludge handling should not be under-estimated. It is the responsibility of the supervisor and the operating staff to acquaint themselves of the dangers and to take the necessary steps to avoid them.

A wide variety of disease-causing organisms are present in both the liquid phase and the sludge stage. Amongst these are salmonella, shigella and vibro that cause diarrhoea and other intestinal tract problems. Viruses are also usually present in waste-water sludges. Amongst these are viruses causing infectious hepatitis, poliomyelitis, sore throats, gastroenteritis and the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), which can cause AIDS. Protozoa such as entamoeba and giardia that cause intestinal distress are also common in waste-water treatment works. Helminths, such as ascaris (roundworm), taenia (tapeworm) and trichuris (whipworm) are also part of the bio-breakdown process but the ova of these can pass through the body and are fairly resistant to normal treatment processes including anaerobic digestion. Very high counts are usually found in sludge. The ova can survive in sol for several years.

Basic health hygiene rules apply when working in waste-water treatment plants; always wash up properly after working or handling any part of the waste-water treatment system or products. Try to avoid touching your face without washing your hands. Refrain from smoking whilst on the works, it is very easy to ingest disease-causing organisms. Protective clothing is an absolutely essential while working in a waste-water treatment plant especially while working with liquid sludges. Most of the guidelines associated with waste-water treatment are common sense. If one is not sure, every plant should have a code of health and hygiene that can be checked upon to see every health aspect associated with the waste plant.

All waste-water treatment works are classified as factories and must have first aid kit available in-case of accidents. The location of these first aid kits should be prominently displayed as well as the name of the first aid officer assigned to a specific section. It is recommended that all senior operating staff must have completed a basic first aid course. All open wounds should be treated by a doctor and it is important to receive a tetanus injection occasionally due to the types of bacteria workers are exposed to. As a general rule no scratch or cut is too minor to receive proper treatment.

Michael Russell Your Independent guide to Waste Treatments [http://waste-treatments.com]

Will Biogas Power Your Car in the Future?

There are several different types of alternative fuels available for powering vehicles these days and there are more being developed all of the time. Alternative fuels generally cause less pollution and emit fewer greenhouse gases into the environment. Many of them are also cheaper to produce and refine than conventional gasoline and other forms of petroleum. One of these alternative fuels is the non-fossil fuel known as biogas.




This form of fuel is made from the anaerobic digestion of organic matter. It is produced in many landfill sites where organic matter such garden waste and food are present. It can also be made from manure, sewage, and green waste. These components are buried and then compressed in a dark oxygen-free atmosphere. In fact, biogas is still often formed and released into the environment of the earth years after a landfill site is filled in.

Biogas consists mainly of carbon dioxide and methane. However, it may also contain traces of hydrogen, hydrogen sulphide, nitrogen, and possibly even oxygen. If it is processed properly, biogas can be used as a substitute or alternative to natural gas. This means it can be used as an effective fuel for electricity, heating, and cooking, etc.

To collect biogas, the landfill sites need to have gas wells drilled into them. Years ago, the gas was just burnt off. However, more landfills are now being used to collect the substance and the gas is being used as a form of power generation around the world. Some of the landfills have erected dedicated anaerobic digesters which enable them to produce larger quantities of the methane-rich gas at a faster rate, which also cuts down on the amount of waste that needs to be buried in the landfill site.

Another benefit of biogas is the fact that it can be utilized to power various types of vehicles. For example, there is a train in Sweden that is fuelled by biogas which is produced from cow waste and sewage, which contains a lot of methane. The gas is pretty good when it comes to the amount of pollution released as it gives off only one-twentieth of the carbon dioxide that diesel produces. Biogas contains no particulate emissions also only generates one-fifth as much nitrous oxide emissions as diesel.

This bodes well for the future if biogas can be produced, refined and utilized to fuel vehicles across the planet. It is also a renewable fuel therefore it can qualify for certain types of energy subsidies on some regions of the globe. Biogas is being used in various parts of Europe, especially Sweden, to power vehicles such as cars, buses, and trucks and several refuelling stations have been built.

The UK and Germany are two of the leading nations when it comes to the production of biogas. These countries have developed farms and landfills and have constructed several biogas plants as a way to produce it.

While biogas is being generated at a decent rate, the majority of it is used for purposes other than fuel for vehicles. However, this may change in the years to come.

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Benefits of Using Biogas Plants

One of the most recent inventions of energy sources include the biogas plant which produces methane from animal waste and sewage. It is an anaerobic digester that produces fuel from energy crops which are mainly produced for the production of bio fuels rather than for consumption purposes.




Biogas Plant - Wide Range of Uses

A biogas plant has two components mainly the digester and a gas holder. Waste materials are dumped and decomposed in an air tight container called the digester. The bacteria inside the tank decompose the waste materials and form gases like methane, carbon monoxide, nitrogen and hydrogen. These gases are further stored in the gas holder and later on used for vehicle propulsion and heating purposes.

Biogas plant can be constructed in different ways depending on a number of factors like the amount of gas required, the type of digester and the amount of waste available. There are mainly two types of digesters-the continuous feeding systems and the batch feeding systems. The continuous feeding systems feed liquid wastes to the digester whereas the batch feeding systems require solid waste materials.

This particular gas has a number of uses in the modern world. It is used for producing electricity in a cost efficient manner. Moreover, this gas is known to be environment friendly. Biogas  is also considered and used as the best alternative to Compressed Natural Gas or CNG. In many places this gas is also used for cooking food. Today a great number of vehicles are also fuelled by this gas.

Benefits of Using a Biogas Plant

There are substantial benefits of using a biogas plant and some of them are as follows:

Best Fertilizer: this gas plant produces excellent fertilizer rich in nitrogen by processing cow dung. Fertilizer is produced from the biogas digester from organic waste. Such fertilizers contain a large amount of nitrogen than the other conventionally produced fertilizers.

Eco-friendly: biogas plant helps to promote an environment friendly atmosphere by recycling waste products thereby reducing the greenhouse effects. By proper recycling of harmful waste materials, the natural resources are preserved for future generations.

Easy to produce: with the help of these plants, it is easier to produce fertilizers especially in the rural areas. It can be produced quickly and cost efficiently.

Effects on overall health: there are many health benefits related to these gas plants as it recycles waste materials. Studies reveal that the growth of these plants helps to reduce many diseases like respiratory problems, lung diseases, eye infections and so forth. Many of the rural homes use this gas for cooking purposes as it does not produce fumes and smokes thereby reducing health problems.

Excellent fuel: high in calorific value, this gas is used in many vehicles as it is tantamount to diesel. This gas is also rich in methane so it is widely used in cars and other vehicles.

There are a variety of biogas plant manufacturers in the online business portals who supply high quality products of different sizes and prices.

Author has wide knowledge of B2B Marketplace and Business industries. For more information on biogas plant and water treatment plant, visit online business directory Dir.indiaMART.com

Biogas Technology - A Dynamic Approach To The Desertification Challenge In Northern Nigeria

A perspective from Northern  Nigeria.

The evidence of climate change is glaring as the days go by. In Northern Nigeria, continually the environment is loosing grounds to desert encroachment. People living in these environment continually get their source of fuel for energy from wood.




The charcoal from wood is a big business in these part of Nigeria. However, people seems to forget that the wood emanates from the trees in the forest. Despite certain regulations concerning the use of woods, the activities of illegal loggers cannot be entirely supervised or curtailed.

The greatest hindrance to the observance of these regulations is the absence of alternative source of fuel as the use of kerosene is quite expensive for rural dwellers and availability is a problem in some area.

The Chinese has long identified the importance of biogas towards meeting the energy needs in rural areas. Biogas  is produced through anaerobic digestion. The anaerobic production of biogas does not produce any offensive smell hence it is environmentally friendly, reduces green house effect, greatly increases the fertilizer value of manure and protects water source.

Biogas is generated by the activity of anaerobic bacteria. It is composed of 60% methane, 40% carbondioxide and small amount of hydrogen sulphide, nitrogen and hydrogen.

Biogas can be used for cooking, heating, generating electricity and running a vehicle.

The wonders and opportunities associated with biogas appears to be the best alternative along with solar options towards addressing the effect of desertification activities of people in rural area of Northern Nigeria.

In Northern Nigeria, Livestock rearing is a common practice thus raw material for biogas functionality is readily available.

Isaac Akogu is a Pharmacist and a Conversation Map Expert Trainer who commits over 40 hours a week towards diabetes care, counselling, information, education and advocacy for subsidized drugs and treatment for orphans and widows in North Central Nigeria.

Taking Responsibility for Waste!

Although not the most palatable topic, septic or sewer systems are absolutely crucial to a healthy, happy, and sanitary life. There have been many, many scientific and technological developments in the past century or 2, not the least of which is the way we dispose of our waste. We've probably heard of the nothing short of tragic methods many countries around the world used in the previous centuries, but it gives us something to be thankful for if nothing else!




In truth, many epidemics and plagues throughout the 1800's and prior to that as well, have been due to inefficient or sometimes just plain revolting sewage systems. Diseases such as cholera, typhoid, yellow fever, and even malaria are but a few examples of what can happen when waste isn't properly disposed of. Mosquitos are not only responsible for many of these diseases, but interestingly, thrive big-time in sewage-contaminated bodies of water as opposed to purer sources.

Research has proven that mosquitos that are bred in polluted water grow bigger, fly faster, and have an overall lower mortality rate than their more inferior counterparts bred in cleaner water. The "nutrient-enriched" water containing large amounts of ammonia phosphates and other minerals abundant in sewage serve to feed the bacteria and microorganisms that mosquito larvae eat, beefing up their diet, making them healthier and more robust. Another dandy reason to add to the million to keep your waste where it belongs.

The search for ideal waste disposal methods is something man has been up against since the beginning of time. We have certainly come a long way since our ancestors dug holes as their solution, but there is still much we can learn from how things used to be done. Hey, when it comes down to it, a hole in the ground is still the first thing most of us would think of if there wasn't a toilet available! Ok, let's talk about options, assuming modern take-it-for-granted city pipes isn't one of them:

- A hole in the ground right outside your kitchen window.

- A hole in the ground about 30 meters into the woods behind your cabin.

- A pipe leading from your in-house toilet right out to your front street. (History people!)

- A septic system.

Given the choices above, a septic system is probably the system of choice if city sewers weren't available. - Providing you have some kind of environmental conscience that wouldn't allow you to just funnel your sewage down to the closest river. A septic system consists of several key components which together, break your sewage down for safe deposit back into the groundwater. Designing and maintaining a proper septic system is crucial not only for our health, but for our environment as well.

The system starts with piping that leads from your toilet to an underground septic tank. This tank is the the first stage of decomposition where the heavier solids settle to the bottom and the lighter "scum" floats to the top. Tanks often have 2 compartments with a dividing wall between them. The liquid component of the waste will then flow into the second chamber where further settling will take place. This process is then followed by what is called a leach field.

A leach field is a section of land that is used to filter the effluent as it makes its way down through the layers of soil, and eventually into the groundwater. A potential leach field must meet certain "percolation requirements" before being deemed suitable. If the soil is too porous - too much sand and gravel - it won't effectively "hold" and deactivate the harmful pathogens, and conversely, if the soil isn't porous enough - such as too much clay - it won't allow the percolation of waste water at the needed rate.

Tests that are done on the soil for this purpose are called "percolation tests". The size of a given leach field is proportional to the amount of incoming waste water and inversely proportional to the porosity of its soil. Imagine a leach field as a system of perforated pipes stretched out over a wide area of land. These pipes are usually buried under a layer of soil and gravel to prevent animals from accessing. In a well-made leach field, gravity will more or less evenly distribute the effluent load through its piping.

Back in the septic tank, the heavier solids are being decomposed via anaerobic digestion. What the heck is that? Well, it's kinda what makes this whole system even remotely effective. An anaerobic environment is what naturally takes place inside a septic tank when waste is introduced. It's the bacteria that immediately begins eating away at pretty much anything that enters the tank.

One thing to keep in mind though, is that a septic system cannot run on auto-pilot forever. It needs to be regularly maintained for it to continue to run efficiently. There are certain "irreducible" solids that will remain in the tank, and that will gradually accumulate, causing an overflow of the same into the leach field. An overflow of these solids will clog your drain field and cost a right arm to repair.

Other precautions regarding septic systems involve what you can safely flush down your toilet or drains - if other sinks etc are also connected.

- Non-biodegradable substances such as cigarette butts, hygiene products, non-biodegradable toilet paper, etc, cannot be decomposed bacterially, and will only build-up, leading to clogging, overflow, and premature failure of the septic system.

- Oils and greases are more difficult to decompose and can cause clogging and excessive stinking if larger amounts are disposed of.

- Disinfectants, bleaches, and chemicals of any kind have the potential to destroy the anaerobic environment. Do not flush these into your tank!

As a rule, only dump what's absolutely necessary and nothing more. Keep the septic system for your sewage and use other methods such as composting etc for other organic waste instead of using garbage disposers. Perform periodic maintenance on your septic system and have your tank emptied on a regular basis - intervals depend on the size of your tank, the number of users, and your faithfulness - or lack of it - in keeping the guidelines. This is absolutely essential and cannot be ignored.

If you liked my article please visit my websites at Free and Handy and Your Japanese Garden for more, thanks!

What Is Digestate in Anaerobic Digestion During Sludge Treatment?

What is Digestate?

Digestate is the solid leftover of the original matter which is not biodegraded by the anaerobic microorganism. the process of anaerobic digestion forms two products viz biogas and digestate. The quality of digestate is graded against chemical, physical and biological aspects.

Appearance and odour come under physical quality and in chemical aspects heavy metal and some inorganic contaminants are checked.

Hydrolysis begins the digestion process in which the input biodegradable material is broken down to form insoluble organic polymers which are then used by bacterias. Then these are converted to ammonia, hydrogen and carbon dioxide by acidogenic bacteria. On this the Acetogenic bacteria acts that is followed by the process of methanogenesis.

Types of Digestate

Digestate is formed both during the acidogenesis and methanogenesis process. But each by product has different characteristics.

Acidogenic digestate

It is fibrous and consists of lignin and cellulose. This digestate sometimes also contain remains of bacteria and minerals. Also if checked then there is high moisture retention properties in the acidogenic digestate.

Methanogenic digestate

It has very high nutrient content including nitrates and phosphates and it is also called liquor in sludge treatment.

Uses of Digestate

It acts as solid conditioner as it provides soil the organic content. It provides nutrients that are required for the growth of the plant. Acidogenic digestate give rise to composite plastics. Also with digestate plants with resistance towards few diseases have been developed. It stimulates the biological activity of the soil.

Spreading of digestate in ground as such is prohibited but it can be done with sludge spreader. Also for this waste management license is mandatory.

R Oberoi is a portal manager checking out web promotion, content updation and online portal marketing. Check out more about water treatment plants on www.thewatertreatmentplant.com