GE to Showcase Biogas Technology for EPA, US Farmers - IEWY News

EPA’s National AgSTAR Conference in Boise, Idaho, Highlights Growing Farm Use of Digesters with GE’s Jenbacher Biogas Engines to Produce Renewable Energy while Reducing Emissions

Bio Town Ag Operation in Indiana and Dane County “Cow Power” Facility in Wisconsin Among GE Biogas Projects to be Showcased

BOISE, IDAHO——With the environmental impacts of agricultural activities coming under greater scrutiny, Bio Town Ag in Indiana and a community “cow power” project in Dane County, Wis., are among a growing number of U.S. farms to install anaerobic digesters and GE’s (NYSE: GE) Jenbacher biogas engines to recycle livestock wastes into renewable electricity that is used to support onsite farm operations and rural transmission grids.

GE is showcasing its ecomagination-approved Jenbacher biogas engine technology at the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) annual AgSTAR national conference in Boise, Idaho, May 10-12, 2011. Created by the EPA in partnership with the U.S. Department of Agriculture, AgSTAR promotes the installation of digesters to convert livestock waste and other agricultural biomass into methane-rich, renewable biogas. As a result, less methane is available to escape into the atmosphere.

“Biogas production systems are becoming increasingly important tools in helping farms reduce their on-site emissions of methane, a greenhouse gas that is 21 times more potent than carbon dioxide,” said Roger George, general manager North America gas engines for GE Power & Water. “As federal and state governments work to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and increase local renewable energy production, we expect even more farms across the country to install biogas to energy systems to help meet their operational and environmental requirements.”

In addition to reducing onsite emissions, agricultural biogas projects can help farmers comply with more stringent local water quality standards. By capturing agricultural wastes for biogas production, farmers can avoid the need to dispose these materials on their lands. As a result, lower levels of various biomass contaminants can potentially escape into nearby rivers, lakes and ponds.

GE’s biogas engine technology continues to be deployed at some of the country’s most innovative agricultural biogas projects, including the Bio Town Ag project in Indiana and a recently completed, multi-farm digester project in Dane County, Wis.:

Bio Town Ag community digester biogas project, Indiana:

Featuring three, 1-megawatt (MW) Jenbacher JMS 320 generator sets, Bio Town Ag marks GE’s so far largest U.S. agricultural biogas-to-energy project. The project also is the first to combine GE’s Jenbacher gen-set technology with advanced digester technology supplied by GHD, Inc., the largest U.S. supplier of agricultural anaerobic digesters.

Bio Town Ag is a livestock farm with 4,500 beef cattle and 800 sow swine, located in Reynolds, Ind., a corn, soybean, dairy and swine farming region that was previously dubbed “Bio Town USA” by Indiana’s governor. The farm is developing a 3.1-MW digester biogas-to-energy plant powered by GE’s Jenbacher engines to transform its livestock manure into renewable energy. Bio Town Ag also plans to recover solids for bedding, convert post-digestion liquids into fertilizer and recycle water for on-site uses.

“Our digester biogas-to-energy project is a centerpiece of Indiana’s efforts to showcase the various technologies that are available to help us recycle our agricultural biomass resources and produce renewable fuel for vehicles and cleaner electricity for our state and country,” said Brian Furrer, Bio Town Ag president and CEO.

“GHD is proud to be involved in the BioTown Ag project, which will bring a true community anaerobic digester to fruition,” said Steve Dvorak, president of Chilton, Wis.-based GHD.

“The digester will process farm waste, as well as wastes from the surrounding community, to produce renewable electricity on a local scale. This project creates jobs, provides social benefits for the community and generates additional, viable business opportunities for agriculture.”

Dane County community dairy farm “cow power” project, Wisconsin:

Three family-run dairy farms in Dane County are participating in Wisconsin’s first “cluster” manure-digester project located near Waunakee. The project was launched by the county in 2010 under a “Clean Energy and Clean Lakes Resolution” to build a community digester.

Wisconsin-based biogas energy developer Clear Horizons LLC built, owns and operates the project. A total of 2,500 cows are supplying the manure, which is collected in three, 1.25 million gallon digesters. The biomass is converted into methane-rich biogas, which is then used by two, 1-MW Jenbacher JMC 320 gen-sets to generate renewable electricity that is sold to Alliant Energy under Wisconsin’s renewable portfolio standard.

In addition to renewable energy production, Dane County’s initiative is the first U.S. community digester specifically built to help farmers reduce biomass run-offs into surrounding freshwater bodies. Dane County’s digester removes much of the phosphorus from the livestock waste that had been linked to algae overgrowth in the Lake Mendota watershed.

“One of the keys to implementing successful biomass to energy projects is to work with technology partners like GE that have the expertise to offer cost-effective solutions that help projects optimize their rate of return ,” said Dan Nemke, general manager for Clear Horizons, which has installed Jenbacher engines for previous U.S. farm-to-energy projects.

Between its creation in 1993 and 2010, more than 160 manure digester projects have been installed in the United States with the AgSTAR program’s assistance. Opportunities for more agricultural digester-energy projects still exist at more than 8,000 U.S. livestock facilities, according to AgSTAR.

Many of GE’s Jenbacher products are ecomagination approved, providing customers with products that improve their operating performance and reduce environmental impact. Ecomagination is GE’s business strategy to help meet customers’ demand for products that improve their bottom line and reduce their impact on the environment. This also will drive growth for GE that delivers for its investors. Ecomagination reflects GE’s commitment to invest in a future that creates innovative solutions to environmental challenges. From 2010 to 2015, GE has committed to: doubling R&D to $ 10 billion; growing ecomagination revenues twice as fast as overall company revenue; reducing GE’s energy intensity 50 percent; reducing water consumption 25 percent; and inspiring a competitive energy future.

About GE

GE (NYSE: GE) is an advanced technology, services and finance company taking on the world’s toughest challenges. Dedicated to innovation in energy, health, transportation and infrastructure, GE operates in more than 100 countries and employs about 300,000 people worldwide. For more information, visit the company’s Web site at www.ge.com.

GE also serves the energy sector by providing technology and service solutions that are based on a commitment to quality and innovation. The company continues to invest in new technology solutions and grow through strategic acquisitions to strengthen its local presence and better serve customers around the world. The businesses that comprise GE Energy GE Power & Water, GE Energy Services and GE Oil & Gas—work together with more than 90,000 global employees and 2010 revenues of $38 billion, to provide integrated product and service solutions in all areas of the energy industry including coal, oil, natural gas and nuclear energy; renewable resources such as water, wind, solar and biogas; as well as other alternative fuels and new grid modernization technologies to meet 21st century energy needs.

View the original article here

Nairobi, Kenya - Experts sound the alarm over poor quality biogas plants

A biogas plant

Business Daily - Kenya: By NGONDI MBURU, Posted  Tuesday, April 5 2011 at 00:00

Experts are warning against inappropriate biogas plant installations being carried out by donor-funded organisations throughout the country, saying some are of low quality and unsuitable for farmers.

“Some of these plants are just enough to cook three meals per day on a single burner. They cannot be used for lighting,” said Mr Stanley Chepkwony, a biogas technical consultant.

The facilities, which cost about Sh100,000 to install, are permanent fixtures which cannot be expanded in future if the farmer sees the need.

Construction costs involve creating a digester, piping system, kitchen work, and other accessories.

“This is something permanent. Once constructed you cannot later demolish it. It can last up to 30 or 50 years,” said Mr Chepkwony.

Development of the Anaernobic Digestion energy is expected to reduce pressure on the country’s depleted forest cover.

He said that farmers who later find out that the biogas plants do not meet their needs are forced to build fresh ones, which is expensive.

“We have received several complaints from the field and we have constructed bigger plants for some of the farmers, which is proving very expensive for them,” said Mr Chepkwony who works with the Private Sector Development in Agriculture.

The small plants, which range between four and 12 cubic metres, are being constructed by government and donor funded organisation.

About 700 such plants have been build throughout the country.

“These people are not informing farmers properly on the size of the biogas plants. They just want the farmers to have the plants installed,” said Mr Richard Karani, a biogas economist and consultant.

Enough energy

The Private Sector Development in Agriculture has constructed 650 plants, which range from 12 to 124 cubic metres, across the country.

The large capacity plants can produce enough energy to run engines, chuff cutters, lighting, and even household items like fridges in addition to cooking.

Before construction, farmers are advised to inquire on the capacity of the plants in relation to the number of animals they have and their future projections.

This ensures that they receive plants that meet their current and future needs.

Read the full article here.

Anaerobic Digestion - Realising the Potential: Removing the Barriers

CIWEM - CMS Conference 28th June 2011, SOAS London

Programme and booking  
Please forward to colleagues who may be interested

Anaerobic digestion clearly has a really strong future. Charlotte Morton CEO of the Anaerobic Digestion and Biogas Association will be presenting on what this vision looks like. Key points will include:

    * AD from the bigger, integrated perspective - energy, waste and water
    * Just what is the potential for AD technology?
    * The drivers and innovation from an international, European and UK level
    * The developing technologies and the opportunities that these provide
    * How can UK plc and its companies best unlock this potential?

The aim of this conference is to explore key issues concerning the future of anaerobic digestion in the context of the Government’s objectives, the country’s need, the water sector’s capacity, the waste sector’s interests and in particular to explore with regulators and what can be done to unlock this potential and remove the barriers to co-digestion.

The main conference themes are:

   1. The new paradigm:  What does a really ambitious vision for anaerobic digestion in the context of the water, waste and energy sectors look like?
   2. To understand the Government’s position and policy context of their work – Defra (but also covering DECC’s work)
   3. To understand a waste perspective on AD and co-digestion     
   4. To understand the Ofwat position on anaerobic digestion and energy generation and their position on co-digestion 
   5. To understand a water industry view on the future of anaerobic digestion [improvements in performance from new technologies] and in particular the issues with co-digestion
   6. To understand what co-digestion involves in practice –what happens when this is
   7. Anaerobic digestion and co-digestion: Barriers and Incentives  - next  steps   

This conference is seeking to bring the water and wider AD and waste sector together to look at the key issues

Sponsors to date: MWH   WRc

If you would like to sponsor this conference please contact Lauren Goozee at CIWEM on lauren@ciwem.org or ring on 0207 831 3110

Book Now
You can book a place for this conference online by visiting http://www.coastms.co.uk/conferences/447

You can also download the programme and email or post the completed booking form to bob.earll@coastms.co.uk
We issue receipts and invoices as our standard response.
We can also take bookings over the phone with a credit card - ring 01531 890415.

More information on CIWEM events at www.ciwem.org/events 

Decentralized Modular Power Plants and Biogas CHP Cogeneration

2G-CENERGY CHP produces much improved energy
efficiency.

Projects on the Rise in North America

Orange Park, FL - May 7th 2011

Cogeneration is the environmentally-friendly, economically-sensible way to produce power, simultaneously saving significant amounts of money and also dramatically reducing total greenhouse gas emissions. 2G’s concept of smaller modular combined heat and power plants for decentralized energy production, especially biogas and natural gas fueled, is leading the way in North America.

While the biogas market in Europe is well-developed, it has taken longer for the industry to gain a foothold in North America. However, the number of decentralized power plants is increasing, and new biogas project announcements suggest the U.S. is finally ready to catch up with other industrialized markets.

In January 2010, 2G-CENERGY Power Systems Technologies Inc., a U.S.-based manufacturer of highefficiency biogas-and natural gas energy conversion systems, jointly owned by 2G Bio-Energy Technologies in Germany (2G Bio-Energietechnik AG, publically traded at the Frankfurt stock exchange), and its North American management, announced the company plans to focus largely on the developing biogas market in the United States.

"We've been the market leader in Europe for many years but really saw a great growth opportunity in North America," said Michael Turwitt, 2G-CENERGY president and chief executive officer. The company uses a modular CHP and cogeneration technology that converts biogas and other gaseous fuels into valuable electrical as well as thermal energy. The result is a renewable energy production, environmentally friendly, very economical, and dramatically reducing greenhouse gas emissions. The technology is applied in combination with all types of anaerobic digesters (agricultural and organic waste streams), at landfills, and in combination with methane generating waste water treatment facilities. To date, 2G’s technology has been utilized in more than 1500 biogas projects in Europe, and many other locations in various industrialized countries. In North America the company successfully commissioned plants in Washington State, Wisconsin, Ontario, and is in the process of installing its advanced modular CHP technologies in Massachusetts, New York, South Carolina, Texas, and in Mississippi. Additional projects are forthcoming in Oregon, California, Pennsylvania, and in Ohio.

Most recently in Mississippi, Three Rivers Solid Waste Management Authority located in Pontotoc decided to purchase a modern 2G biogas power plant, a 1.3 million $ investment, for their landfill facility. In April EMG in Pennsylvania awarded 2G-CENERGY with an order to supply a high efficiency biogas CHP (combined heat and power) cogeneration plant for EMG’s anaerobic fluidized-bed digester technology to be installed at a large brewery in New York.

Instead of the conventional design-build, or site-build process, 2G customers always decide for a 100% modular “all-in-one” and “connection-ready” cogeneration system to save cost and to reduce technical risk. The cogeneration process results in overall electrical and thermal efficiencies close to 90%, compared to most utility power plants operating in the 33% percent efficiency range. 2G’s systems are an integrated package, fully containerized and are supplied as a unique “all-in-one” and “connection-ready” modules. Benefits over conventional gas engine gensets (often wrongly compared with CHP systems) include much higher overall efficiency, reliability, durability, extended life, fast installation, and less maintenance cost.

Biogas projects have continued to gain traction in Europe, as well. On May 2nd 2G published their 2010 results. 2G-Bio-Energietechnik AG has again exceeded expectations for its revenue and earnings. After having already doubled its sales in the previous year, 2G achieved further Group-wide revenue growth of 79.7% in 2010. The 2011 outlook remains very optimistic and the solid uptrend in new orders is unbroken. The current order book position comprises 251 CHP systems entailing a total order value of around 86 Million US$, a level well ahead of the previous year.

The 2G Group's strategic orientation continues to make great advances this year, not least due to the last few years' highly positive trend. Christian Grotholt, CEO of the 2G Group, commented on the company's further plans as follows: “Our expansion into markets outside Germany and Europe, as well as into the USA, has proved correct to date. We aim to expand our position through tapping further growth regions, and thereby also reduce our dependence on individual markets in a targeted manner. The German market nevertheless remains of outstanding importance for us. The energy-efficient deployment of natural gas CHPs will also become increasingly significant.”

In the Management Board's opinion, the heightening of international awareness of the entire regenerative energy sector will also open up tangible potential for combined heat and power (CHP) generation. While debate addresses topics such as a lack of capacities in terms of energy storage systems and power lines, for instance, CHP technology, including biogas fueled power generation, represents the only truly decentralized solution for a balanced energy mix.

Vist their web site at: http://www.2g-cenergy.com

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

View the original article here

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

View the original article here

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.