Article: Namibia, Biogas a Good Alternative

Article: Namibia, Biogas a Good Alternative

analysis

BIOGAS has been used for over 3000 years as an effective fuel for cooking and lighting. As fossil-based fuels become scarcer and more expensive and carbon dioxide emission levels become of greater concern, the benefits and potential of biogas as a source of energy supply are being increasingly recognised.
Biogas is a mixture of methane and carbon dioxide. It is produced by the action of bacteria on vegetable/organic material in airless conditions, which is why the process is also known as "anaerobic digestion".
One of the main attractions of biogas technology is its ability to generate biogas out of organic waste that is abundant and freely available.
The potential gas production from some animal dung is highlighted by the fact that the manure from one dairy cow can produce 9kg of LPG equivalent (a small gas cylinder) in 20 days.
Applications for boigas
Biogas technology can be implemented as a decentralized sanitation solution, which provides energy security and nutrient rich pathogen free waste water which can be used for food production.
There are over 30 million operational biogas digesters in the world as at 2007.
China alone has over 25 million residential biogas systems installed - with over a million now being installed each year - as well as over 100,000 sewage treatment plants capturing biogas for conversion to useful energy.
Normally, manure that is left to decompose releases two main gases that cause global climate change: nitrous dioxide and methane.
Most household in the SADC region obtain their energy for cooking and heating from biomass. Potential biomass energy supplies include municipal solid waste, industrial residues and energy plantations.
Through the Programme for Biomass Energy Conservation, SADC in partnership with the German Agency for Technical Cooperation are promoting efficient energy-saving wood stoves in the region.
This programme promotes a switch to renewable energy sources through the introduction of biogas, solar cookers, and fuels can include crop residues.
Advantages of biogas technology
Biogas can make an important contribution to the protection and improvement of natural resources and the environment.
Slurry, a residue from the process, is a high-grade fertilizer that can replace expensive mineral fertilizers, in particular nitrogen.
The technology is ideal for effective and productive management of livestock waste.
The technology provides an efficient wet sanitary system - that enhances effective waste product disposal.
It provides an integrated system for waste treatment, energy and fertiliser production.
The use of biogas enables rural women to save time for productive agriculture, leisure and family care and welfare.
Use of biogas technology improves the standard of living and can directly contribute to economic and social development of a country.
A biogas digester can be locally produced or built, and locally operated. The cost of the technology is therefore largely independent of exchange rate fluctuations.
It is a low maintenance sanitation system which generates resources which requires no electrical and synthetic chemical inputs.
The technology has the potential to permanently employ many thousands of people should its potential be reached in the country.
This technology is feasible for small holders with livestock producing 50 kg manure per day, an equivalent of about 6 pigs or 3 cows.
This manure has to be collectable to mix it with water and feed it into the plant. Toilets can also be connected. With an optimum at 36
C° the technology especially applies for those living in a (sub) tropical climate. This makes the technology for small holders in developing countries often suitable.
Recently, our visit to Nepal included an initial set of briefings with parliamentarians and government and NGO staff, followed by five days of site visitations to various field activities.
The delegation was exposed to a range of new ideas and concepts. Some that appear suitable for introduction to Namibia's 71 communal conservancies include:
Household Biogas Plants - Nepal has pioneered an innovative approach of generating biogas that can be used for cooking in individual households, while at the same time, improving household hygiene and reducing deforestation.
A high quality biogas plant requires minimal maintenance costs and can produce gas for at least 15-20 years without major problems and re-investment.
The slurry is a clean organic fertilizer that potentially increases agricultural productivity. Domestic biogas technology is a proven and established technology in many parts of the world, especially Asia. Therefore, I advocate that the usage of domestic biogas could be the best solution in Namibia, especially in our rural areas.
http://allafrica.com/

Article: Fill the tank - with biogas from food waste

 Article: Fill the tank - with biogas from food waste

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Leftover fruit and vegetables from markets don’t always have to end up on the compost heap. Researchers in Stuttgart are developing a new system aims to turn that waste into biogas for cars.

In affluent countries like Germany, food doesn't always land on people's plate - quite often it ends up in the trash instead. A recent study found that Germans throw away an incredible 11 metric tons (around 12 million short tons) of food each year.
In Stuttgart, Germany's de facto automobile capital, researchers are trying to feed some of this waste from the local fruit and vegetable market directly into a biogas plant. They're even building a service station for cars to tank up with the gas directly at the plant itself.
With the rising prices of petrol, biogas made from food waste could be an attractive - and more sustainable - alternative.
From the market into the tank
Stuttgart's wholesalers market is the third biggest in Germany. Titus Steiger, head of a busy fruit and vegetable trading company, is one of hundreds of traders and farmers based at there.
Leafy vegetables have to be sold quickly, he told DW, within three days. "After that we have to give them away. With herbs we only have two days," Steiger said.
The Stuttgart market produces 2,000 kilograms (2,200 pounds) of green waste, or biowaste, every year. Currently, these food scraps are collected by the city and composted.
In many regions of Germany, biogas from organic waste is increasingly being used to run heating systems and produce electricity.
The new project in Stuttgart is being run by the Frauenhofer Institute for Interfacial Engineering and Biotechnology and is set to show that energy from food waste can also be used to run cars. The experiment is part of a project called Etamax, which received 6 million euros ($8 billion) from Germany's Federal Research Ministry.

In this gleaming facility, food waste is transformed into fuel

In the pilot phase, the project will be collecting leftover fruit and vegetables from the nearby central market and several cafeterias, and then fermenting it into methane.
In a two-stage process, which lasts several days, various microorganisms digest the waste, which produces biological methane. After being pressurized, it can be used to fuel vehicles that normally run on compressed natural gas.
"Food waste has high water content and low lignin and lignocellulose content. That makes it ideal for this digestive process," Ursula Schliessman, a Fraunhofer scientist, said.
Lettuce or lemons: the right mix
Karl Kübler, who heads up Stuttgart's market, said the kind of food waste can fluctuate wildly according to season.
If it's melon season, for example, and "suddenly we have a cold spell, no one buys the melons and then we have a huge quantity of melons that are thrown out all at the same time," Kübler said.
The waste even varies from day to day. Sometimes there will be more lettuce thrown away, sometimes citrus fruits - which contain a lot of acid.
This means the scientists have to balance the pH of the material for it to be digested in the fermenter. To do this, different kinds of biowaste are stored in separate containers, where the pH and other parameters are measured.
"Then we have a specially developed system to calculate how many liters of waste have to be taken from which containers and then put in with the microorganisms," said Schliessmann.
The correct balance has to be maintained so that the microorganisms have a consistent environment in which to carry out their digestion.
Nothing is wasted
After the biogas is produced, fluid residue and any bits that cannot be fermented are put to use in other projects.
The water from the digestion process, which contains nitrogen and phosphorous, is used as a nutrient for algae, which can produce oil for use in diesel engines.
The remaining residue is turned into methane using another process - so that the organic waste is completely re-used.
The next step is to get the gas into cars.
Avoiding demand for waste
Since the system runs on food waste, it does not compete in any way with the actual production of food, as is the case when the biofuel ethanol is made from maize or other crops.
Ethanol has been the subject of a lot of criticism, especially because it uses up valuable land which could be used for growing food crops. Many also question whether it takes more energy to grow the crops than is produced.
But organic leftovers are just that. Right now in the best scenario they are composted, but for biogas proponents they represent considerable source of untapped energy.
Environment groups like Friends of the Earth Germany (BUND), say it makes sense to use food waste for biogas.

Culture of waste: Worldwide, half of all food prodcued ends up in the trash

However, Berthold Friess, who heads the organization in the German state of Baden-Württemberg where the new fermenter is located, warns that technology of this kind should not be allowed to create an artificially high demand for food waste.
Studies have indicated that around half the world's food already ends up being thrown away. "The aim should really be to make sure as little food as possible is thrown away at markets," Friess said.
He also calls for the development of lighter, more economical cars and the improvement of public transport, to reduce the use of limited natural resources like oil and gas and to put less pressure on the climate.
Biogas in future energy mix
Schliessmann hopes that smaller biogas plants like this one could someday be seen in every city and play an important role in the energy mix of the future.
"The advantage of this kind of technology is that we can put it in the middle of a city where people are living because there is no smell and it is a closed system," he said.
When the plant officially starts up at the end of April, the German car company Daimler will fill up test cars with different mixes of methane gas to find out what works best.
Author: Irene Quaile and Kate Hairsine
Editor: Holly Fox

source: www.dw.de,

Video | Biogas in Cambodia

Video | Biogas in Cambodia

Non-governmental organization People in Need from Czech Republic support national programme on domestic biogas in Cambodia. In multi-stakeholder sector development approach, PIN aim to optimise organisational and institutional capacities already available in the country.

Video | Biogas in Cambodia

Video | Biogas in Cambodia

Non-governmental organization People in Need from Czech Republic support national programme on domestic biogas in Cambodia. In multi-stakeholder sector development approach, PIN aim to optimise organisational and institutional capacities already available in the country.

Video | Biogas in Cambodia

Video | Biogas in Cambodia

Non-governmental organization People in Need from Czech Republic support national programme on domestic biogas in Cambodia. In multi-stakeholder sector development approach, PIN aim to optimise organisational and institutional capacities already available in the country.

Biogas New In Urdu from Pakistan

Biogas New In Urdu from Pakistan

Punjab government has launched installation of 1500 family size bio-gas plants in all the districts of the province through transparent balloting process at a cost of Rs74 million. 

biogas instald in pakistan

biogas instald in pakistan

PCRET to install 368 biogas plants in rural areas

Pakistan Council of Renewable Energy Technologies to install 368 biogas plants in rural areas
ISLAMABAD - Pakistan Council of Renewable Energy Technologies (PCRET) will install 368 Biogas plants in different rural areas by the June 2012 under the project “Development and Promotion of Biogas Technology for meeting domestic fuel needs of rural areas and production of Biocfertilizer”.
This project was launched in 2008 through which 2500 family size Biogas plants are to be installed in the country, out of these 2132 plants have been installed and the remaining will be installed by end of financial year 2011-12. Biogas plant is a device used for converting fermentable organic matter, particularly cattle dung, into a combustible gas (Biogas) and fully matured and enriched organic fertilizer. Read more

About Basics of Biogas

Biogas Basics

Biogas is the result of gases released during the decomposition of organic matter by methanogenic bacteria.  Biogas is comprised of multiple gases, the most dominant of which is methane (CH4) followed by a smaller concentration of carbon dioxide (CO2).  It may also contain traces of hydrogen (H2), nitrogen (N2), water vapor (H2O), and hydrogen sulfide (H2S).  Biogas turns what would be waste -- such as sewage, manure, or food scraps -- into a clean renewable energy.  The gas burns cleanly, is smokeless, and is non-toxic. The premise behind biogas is a simple one – organic matter decomposes.  The decomposition resulting from anaerobic digestion releases methane.  Methane is a potent greenhouse gas and is estimated to be 21 to 23 times more damaging than the same volume of carbon dioxide (Sharma et al 2010; Themelis and Ulloa 2007).  When methane (CH4) is burned, the carbon and hydrogen atoms combine with oxygen to create carbon dioxide (CO2) and water vapor (H2O) as the by-product. Technology systems, ranging from the very simple and affordable to the very complex and expensive, can capture methane from decomposing material
and convert it into a usable energy.  This process can replace a range of other emission-producing energy sources from firewood to coal to fossil fuels.  While burning methane still releases greenhouse gases, CO2 is less potent than the methane and it also avoids the release of CO2 currently sequestered in other sources.  Thus, the emission reduction results from the combination of two factors:  (1) The methane that would have been emitted regardless through natural processes of decomposition is now harnessed for energy, and (2) The emissions from the energy source replaced by biogas are eliminated, or at least reduced.   The technology to harness the energy potential released by anaerobic digestion varies in scale, complexity, and feeder materials.  Regardless of design, a biogas plant has three primary components:  an inlet to get organic matter into the digestion chamber where anaerobic digestion and gas capture occurs and an outlet to remove the digested organic matter (Karki et al 2009; see Figure 1 for typical Nepali design).  The gas use devices and equipment vary based on the intended end-use of the generated biogas.  A biogas plant can be constructed at home with some ingenuity at minimal cost and can use methane from human sewage, animal excrement, food waste, or a combination thereof to provide cooking fuel or lighting (see Figure 2).  A biogas plant can also be constructed at considerable expense costing millions of dollars (see the United States Environmental Protection Agency’s website for anaerobic digesters at

  Homemade biogas digester on a rooftop in Kathmandu.  Cow manure was used as the
initial feeder material to begin the anaerobic digestion after which only food scraps have been
added.  The biogas is used to operate a kitchen burner.  Photograph by author. 

 http://www.epa.gov/agstar/anaerobic/ad101/anaerobic-digesters.html

 for diagrams and photographs of typical biogas facilities in the United States).  Plants can serve as waste management facilities for concentrated animal feeding operations with thousands of animals.  The biogas from such a plant can be used to generate electricity for on-farm use or for sale into the power grid, for heating, or for conversion into vehicle fuel.  Alternatively, it can simply be flared to burn off the methane.  Plants of many sizes and designs exist.  For example, in Nepal an undergrad fixed-dome construction is common with a manual mixer, a ball valve above the underground dome to control gas flow, and an area to collect effluent (see Figure 1 for example).  After anaerobic digestion is complete, a solid waste by-product remains that can be used for fertilizer; this is also depicted in the promotional poster in Figure 1.  Thus, anaerobic digestion
provides an additional use-value before manure fertilizer reaches the field by capturing and using the methane produced through its decomposition as a renewable energy source (see AgSTAR’s basic anaerobic digester system flow diagram at

http://www.epa.gov/agstar/documents/digester_flow_diagram.pdf). 

Teaching sustainability invariably involves teaching about energy

biogas plant

Teaching sustainability invariably involves teaching about energy – its use, its sources, its environmental impacts, and its social implications. This paper explores how one renewable energy alternative – biogas – is adapted and applied across scale and culture. Biogas is made by capturing the methane released during anaerobic digestion of organic matter such as manure, sewage, and food waste. In Nepal, biogas is a household scale technology used to create a cooking fuel that replaces firewood and improves both environmental and human health. In the United States, biogas is used as part of large-scale waste management systems for livestock, wastewater treatment, and landfills to create electricity for on-site use and for sale into electric grids. In Sweden, biogas is used as part of a regional effort to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and fossil fuel usage by using locally generated biogas for district heating, electricity, and vehicular fuel. By comparing these three cases, we gain insight into how one technology is adapted across diverse needs and from household to regional scales in the pursuit of more sustainable energy practices. Such an exercise can be an asset in the classroom to teach students about the importance and relevance of place-based solutions that address diverse cultural and economic realities.


Introduction
There is a growing global awareness that sustainability -- how to live gently on this earth
such that all beings can live a full life with dignity without robbing contemporary or future others
of their ability to do the same -- is a critical practice that needs to be adopted globally and
enacted fairly.  To discuss sustainability in the classroom is to ask students to critically reflect on
their own lives and places as embedded in a wider global network of social and environmental
systems.  A recurring theme in sustainability discussions is energy; teaching sustainability
inevitably means teaching about energy.  The finite fossil fuel energies that power modern life
and are used “behind the scenes” to produce the food and products we consume emit high levels
of carbon dioxide making a society dependent upon them unsustainable.  Teaching sustainability
is more than teaching energy choices and their social impacts, it is also a method to improve
living conditions, alleviate poverty, and move towards more environmentally and socially just
communities.  Teaching sustainability involves teaching alternative ways to structure society that
may vary by place, culture, and scale -- there is no one global solution.  
Rather than asking how a community becomes sustainable, we can instead choose a
method that is deemed “more sustainable” than current alternatives and explore how that one
method is adapted across scale and cultural contexts in the pursuit of sustainability.  Biogas
capture and use is one technology capable of moving societies in the “more sustainable”
direction.  Biogas is made by capturing methane from anaerobic digestion. It has proven to be
versatile in that it has been successfully adopted at a variety of scales, in both rural and urban

areas, and in a variety of cultural contexts in both the Global North and Global South.  In my
own extensive qualitative fieldwork in Nepal, I have researched the use of biogas as well as its
promotion and the public perceptions surrounding biogas and sustainable development.  When I
incorporate discussion of sustainable development and renewable energy in the college
classroom using biogas in Nepal as my example, students often inquire about the use and status
of biogas in the United States.  Based on such student inquiries, I shifted from teaching “this is
how one place is working towards sustainability” and instead focus on “this is how one
sustainable alternative technology is used and adapted in different places from Global North
(developed countries) to Global South (developing countries).”  In this article, I examine how
biogas has been implemented as a renewable energy alternative in three separate contexts: Nepal,
the United States, and Sweden.  Following some summary remarks and commentary, the article
concludes with a discussion of what we can learn from such comparisons and how such concepts
can be incorporated into college classroom learning.






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energy efficiency with biogas plants

Poultry-producing giant MHP, one of Ukraine’s leading listed companies, has announced plans to start biogas energy production as part of a strategy to move the firm toward self-sufficiency.

Construction of the first biogas production plant will start in early April at MHP’s Oril-Leader farm in Dnipropetrovsk region.

The company expects it to produce 30.4 million kilowatt hours per year, more than enough to cover the farm’s annual consumption of 21 million kilowatt hours.

The $15 million plant is to begin operations in October and pay off the cost within four years. Similar ventures are expected at the company’s plants in Kyiv region and the Crimea.

The company said it sees this as a first step in the development of alternative energy sources, which also include solar power production (particularly for the company’s plants in sunny Crimea) and straw.

The fermentation of straw can produce 1,000 cubic meters of natural gas for every 2.5 tons, meaning the company could boost total production to 0.4 billion cubic meters in the future.

Though the energy-generating potential of these ventures is significant, the project won't necessarily do much for profits.

Alexander Tsependa, an analyst at the international investment bank Troika Dialog, said that MHP's electricity costs did not exceed 5 percent of total production expenditures, so he didn't expect any material impact.

Oleksandr Dombrovski, the project manager, said MHP is vying for energy independence. At the very least, this means independence from the political and non-political fluctuations of gas and electricity prices, he added, at most – own power production.

For years, Ukraine’s energy-inefficient economy has been dogged by fluctuations in gas and electricity prices amid spats with supplier Russia and the opacity and overregulation of the local energy market. Thus, the spread of alternative energy use by Ukraine's top companies can only help.
Listed on the London Stock Exchange, MHP disclosed its 2011 results on March 20, reporting revenues up 30 percent to $1.3 billion, while net income rose 20 percent to $259 million. Its stock has increased by nearly 30 percent since the beginning of the year.

Projections by Troika Dialog show the company's revenues could almost double by 2016 after a new complex in Vinnytsia region, scheduled to be fully operational by 2015, boosts production capacity by over 50 percent. This would open the road to exports, which are so far limited by rising local demand.

Nor are rosy prospects clouded by the current economic troubles. According to Troika Dialog, Ukrainian households, who spend over half their disposable income on food, will increasingly replace more expensive beef and pork with poultry even as their wages are squeezed.

Land reform, however, may be a thornier issue. One draft bill, passed in the first reading on Dec. 9 2011, foresaw an ownership limitation of 6,000 hectares or 5 percent in a single district.

With a land bank of 280,000 hectares, this could impose significant compliance costs on MHP.

Yuriy Kosiuk, MHP’s CEO and co-owner, told the Kyiv Post that the restrictions were merely “rumors,” a way to float the idea and gauge reactions.

Conversely, he said the plans found in a new draft law submitted to parliament on March 16, which aim to introduce a one percent tax on the normative value of land, were possible, but would mainly be felt by smaller producers.

Video | Biogas in Cambodia

Non-governmental organization People in Need from Czech Republic support national programme on domestic biogas in Cambodia. In multi-stakeholder sector development approach, PIN aim to optimise organisational and institutional capacities already available in the country.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/gtzecosan/sets/72157624468637235/

Video | Using Bio Gas Plant Generating Electricity and Organic Fertilizer

Using Bio Gas Plant Generating Electricity and Organic Fertilizer

By Using Bio Gas Plant,Generating Electricity and Making Organic Fertilizer for Growing Crops.
20 Feb 2012 in a beautiful village of Bahawalpur District Pakistan

Video | Bringing biogas technology to a school in Kabul

Bringing biogas technology to a school in Kabul, Afghanistan 

Bringing biogas technology to a school in Kabul, Afghanistan

iron drum Biogas Plant Experiment Photo

Iron drum Biogas Plant Experiment

iron drum Biogas Plant Experiment Photo

The Bionic-Biogas Experiment

The Bionic-Biogas Experiment

Scientists and engineers are always looking for new sources of natural gas deep in the ground—even under
the ocean. What’s more, energy engineers are trying to use a type of natural gas called “biogas” that is being created in landfills (the places where they bury our garbage) across America. Biogas is the result of trash (food, wood, farm waste) that breaks down and releases gas. Now, here’s a fun way to make some biogas of your own 
Directions:
1.   Make a “yummy” mixture of the scraps and   soil by putting both of them into the jar and  stirring with the spoon.
2.   Stretch the neck of the balloon over the mouth of the jar and fix it tightly with the rubber band. (Ask your teacher for help!)
3.   Now, watch and wait. Put the jar someplace warm, like near a window in your classroom, for about a   week. As the scraps break down with the soil, they will release gas. Then, your balloon will gradually  fill with biogas.

Video | Biogas (Gobar gas)Technical Information in Hindi

Video | Biogas (Gobar gas)Technical Information in Hindi

Documentary made by NIOS:  NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF OPEN SCHOOLING

Cow dung gas is 55-65% methane, 30-35% carbon dioxide, with some hydrogen, nitrogen and other traces. Its heating value is around 600 B.T.U. per cubic foot.
Natural gas consists of around 80 % methane, yielding a B.T.U. value of about 1000.
Biogas may be improved by filtering it through limewater to remove carbon dioxide, iron filings to absorb corrosive hydrogen sulphide and calcium chloride to extract water vapour after the other two processes.
Cow dung slurry is composed of 1.8-2.4% nitrogen (N₂), 1.0-1.2% phosphorus (P₂O₅), 0.6-0.8% potassium (K₂O) and 50-75% organic humus.
About one cubic foot of gas may be generated from one pound of cow manure at around 28°C. This is enough gas to cook a day's meals for 4-6 people in India.
About 1.7 cubic metres of biogas equals one litre of gasoline. The manure produced by one cow in one year can be converted to methane which is the equivalent of over 200 litres of gasoline.
Gas engines require about 0.5 m³ of methane per horsepower per hour. Some care must be taken with the lubrication of engines using solely biogas due to the "dry" nature of the fuel and some residual hydrogen sulphide, otherwise these are a simple conversion of a gasoline engine.

Biogs (Gobar gas)Technical Information in Hindi

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Contact for Homemade kitchen waste biogas plant Projects
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Biogas Plant Blog
Biogas is alternative source of green energy our world future

Biogas Generation in a Vegetable Waste Anaerobic Digester:

Biogas Generation in a Vegetable Waste Anaerobic Digester : An Analytical Approach 

biogas plant

Dhanalakshmi Sridevi V.1
and Ramanujam R.A.2

1 Department of Chemistry, GKM College of Engineering and Technology, Chennai – 63, TN, INDIA
2 Environment Technology Division, (CLRI), Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR), Adyar, Chennai, INDIA

Available online at: www.isca.in (Received 8th  February 2012, revised 14 the  February 2012, accepted 16
the February 2012)
Abstract 
Mixture of vegetable  wastes  was  an-aerobically  digested  in  a 500  ml  capacity  lab  scale  batch  reactors Vegetable  wastes having  near  similar  pH  and  moisture  content  have  been  chosen  so  that  overall  pH  and  total  solids  content  do  not  vary significantly in the feed composition for the study.  Carrot, beans and brinjal having pH 5.4, 5.8 and 5.7 and moisture content 89.8%, 90.29% and 89.4% respectively were chosen for the study.  These wastes contain predominantly carbohydrates and less protein and fat.  Studies were carried out by preparing the feed consisting of carrot, beans and brinjal in different proportions to obtain organic load ranging from 0.06gm VS to 0.47 gm VS. The performance of the reactors  was evaluated by estimating destruction of total and volatile Solids and by monitoring daily gas production. Mean methane production rate were determined at different organic loading range.  Predictive models for analyzing the performance of the batch reactor and for determining cumulative  biogas  production  for  a  given  organic  loading  have  been  developed.  The  kinetics  of  the  process  has  been  studied using first order rate equation and reported in the paper. 

Download Research Paper. http://www.isca.in/rjrs/archive/v1i3/6.ISCA-RJRS-2012-051_Done.pdf

Importance of Nutrients in Biogas plant

Although nutrient needs for bacteria in aerobic and anaerobic biological treatment processes may be grouped as macronutrients and micronutrients, there are significant differences in nutrient requirements between these two treatment processes.These differences are due to the unique needs of methane-forming bacteria and the
lower cell (sludge) yield of fermentative bacteria as compared to aerobic bacteria. Macronutrients, for example, nitrogen and phosphorus, are nutrients that are required in relatively large quantities by all bacteria. Micronutrients, for example, cobalt and nickel, are nutrients that are required in relatively small quantities by most bacteria.The inorganic nutrients critical in the conversion of acetate to methane—the rate-limiting reaction in an anaerobic digester—are the macronutrients nitrogen and phosphorus and the micronutrients cobalt, iron, nickel, and sulfur.

MACRONUTRIENTS
Macronutrient requirements for anaerobic biological treatment processes are much lower than the requirements for aerobic biological treatment processes such as activated sludge and trickling filter processes. The reduced requirement for macronutrients in anaerobic processes is due to lower cell (sludge) yield compared with aerobic processes from the degradation of equal quantities of substrate. The two macronutrients of concern in any biological treatment process are nitrogen and phosphorus. These nutrients are made available to anaerobic bacteria, including methane-forming bacteria, as ammonical-nitrogen (NH
4+–N) and ortho phosphate-phosphorus (HPO4––P). These nutrients, like all nutrients, are available to bacteria only in a soluble form.

MACRONUTRIENTS

Macronutrient requirements for anaerobic biological treatment processes are much lower than the requirements for aerobic biological treatment processes such as activated sludge and trickling filter processes. The reduced requirement for macronutrients in anaerobic processes is due to lower cell (sludge) yield compared with aerobic processes from the degradation of equal quantities of substrate. The two macronutrients of concern in any biological treatment process are nitrogen and phosphorus. These nutrients are made available to anaerobic bacteria, including methane-forming bacteria, as ammonical-nitrogen (NH
4+–N) and ortho phosphate-phosphorus (HPO4––P). These nutrients, like all nutrients, are available to bacteria only in a soluble form.significant decrease in the rate of methane production, that is, decreased enzymatic ability to convert acetate to methane

SULFIDE
Sulfide is the principle source of sulfur for methane-forming bacteria. For sulfide to enter a bacterial cell, it must exist as nonionized hydrogen sulfide (H2S). This form of sulfide occurs in a relatively high concentration within the pH range of 6.8 to 6.9,which is also near the pH of normal anaerobic digester operation

Importance of Temperature in Biogas plant

Common recurring problems associated with anaerobic digesters are loss of heating capability and maintenance of optimum digester temperature. An acceptable and uniform temperature should be maintained throughout the digester to prevent localized pockets of depressed temperature and undesired bacterial activity.  Variations in temperature of even a few degrees affect almost all biological activity including the inhibition of some anaerobic bacteria, especially methane-forming bacteria. Adequate mixing of the digester content prevents the development of localized pockets of temperature variation. Most methane-forming bacteria are active in two temperature ranges. These ranges are the mesophilic range from 30 to 35°C and the thermophilic range from  50 to 60°C. At temperatures between 40°C and 50°C, methane-forming bacteria are inhibited. Digester performance falters somewhere near 42°C, as this represents the transition from mesophilic to thermophilic organisms. Although methane production can occur over a wide range of temperatures, anaerobic digestion of sludge and methane production at municipal wastewater treatment plants is performed in the mesophilic range, with an optimum
temperature of approximately 35°C Whenever digester temperature falls below 32°C, close attention should be paid to the volatile acid-to-alkalinity ratio. Volatile acid formation continues at depressed temperatures, but methane production proceeds slowly. Volatile acid production can continue at a rapid rate as low as 21°C, whereas methane production is essentially nonexistent. Therefore, 32°C is the minimum temperature that should be main-tained, and 35°C is the preferred temperature.

Biogas at work in Uganda Video

Biogas at work in Uganda

Types of Anaerobic Digesters

Types of Anaerobic Digesters

Anaerobic digesters are capable of treating insoluble wastes and soluble waste-waters. Insoluble wastes such as particulate and colloidal organics are considered to be high-strength wastes and require lengthy digestion periods for hydrolysis and solubilization. Digester retention times of at least 10–20 days are typical for high-strength wastes. High-rate anaerobic digesters are used for the treatment of soluble wastewaters. Because these wastewaters do not require hydrolysis and solubilization of wastes, much faster rates of treatment are obtained. High-rate anaerobic digesters usually have retention times of less than 8 hours.
High-strength wastes are usually treated in suspended growth systems, whereas soluble wastewaters are usually treated in fixed-film systems. Several anaerobic digester processes and configurations are available for the treatment of insoluble wastes and soluble wastewaters (Table 1). Each configuration impacts solids retention time (SRT) and hydraulic retention time (HRT). Minimal HRT is desired to reduce digester volume and capital costs. Maximal SRT is desired to achieve process stability and minimal sludge production

BACTERIAL GROWTH—SUSPENDED Dome Biodigester

In suspended growth systems, the bacteria are suspended in the digester through intermittent or continuous mixing action (Figure ). The mixing action distributes the bacteria or biomass throughout the digester.
Because completely mixed anaerobic digesters do not incorporate a means for retaining and concentrating the biomass, the SRT is the same as the HRT.

Advantages and Disadvantages of Suspended Growth Anaerobic Digesters 

 Advantages 
Suitable for the treatment of particulate, colloidal, and soluble wastes Toxic wastes may be diluted Uniform distribution of nutrients, pH, substrate, and temperature
 Disadvantages 
Large digester volume required to provide necessary SRT Treatment efficiency may be reduced due to loss of particulate and colloidal wastes and bacteria in digester effluent

 Completely mixed anaerobic digesters are designed for relatively long HRTs. Feed sludge can be added to the digester on a continuous or intermittent basis. Advantages and disadvantages of completely mixed suspended growth digesters are listed in Table


BACTERIAL GROWTH—FIXED Dome Digester
Anaerobic fixed-film (sludge blankets) systems provide a quiescent environment for the growth of an agglutinated mass of bacteria (Figure 2). Because bacterial growth requires relatively long periods of time to develop, the media used in fixed-film systems hold the bacteria in the digester for relatively long periods and provide for long SRTs and short HRTs. The bacteria grow as fixed films of dendritic or “stringlike” masses on the supportive media or as clumps of solids within the openings or voids of the supportive media. Fixed-film systems usually use gravel, plastic, and rock as the supportive media. The openings make up approximately 50% or more of the media. Fixed-film systems operate as flow-through processes, that is, wastewater passes over and through a bed of fixed film of bacteria growth and through entrapped clumps of bacterial growth (Figure 23.3). Soluble organic compounds in the waste-water are absorbed (diffuse into) by the bacteria, whereas insoluble organic compounds are adsorbed (attach) to the surface of the bacteria. The flow of wastewater through fixed-film systems may be from the bottom to the top (upflow) or from the
top to the bottom .Because the bacteria (solids) in fixed-film systems remain in the digester for long
SRTs, the systems allow methane-forming bacteria to acclimate to toxicants such as ammonia, sulfide, and formaldehyde. Therefore, anaerobic fixed-film systems with long SRTs and short HRTs may be used to treat industrial wastewater containing toxicants. Numerous fixed-film systems are available for use in the digestion of municipal and industrial wastewaters and sludges . These systems are capable of treating a variety of wastewaters and sludges, provide good contact
 biogas plant

Anaerobic fixed- dome 2

 suspended growth systems 1

Anaerobic Digestion Stages

Anaerobic Digestion Stages

The anaerobic digestion process and production of methane is divided into stages. Three stages often are used to illustrate the sequence of microbial events that occur during the digestion process and the production of methane (Figure). These stages are hydrolysis, acid forming, and methanogenesis. The anaerobic digestion process proceeds efficiently if the degradation rates of all three stages are equal. If the first stage is inhibited, then the substrates for the second and third stages will be limited and methane production decreases. If the
third stage is inhibited, the acids produced in the second stage accumulate. The inhibition of the third stage occurs because of an increase in acids and, consequently, loss of alkalinity and decrease in pH. The most common upsets of anaerobic digesters occur because of inhibition of methane-forming bacteria—the third stage. The anaerobic digestion process contains different groups of bacteria. These groups work in sequence, with the products of one group serving as the substrates of another group. Therefore, each group is linked to other groups in chainlike fashion, with the weakest links being acetate production and methane production.

Anaerobic Digestion Stages

STAGE 1—HYDROLYSIS STAGE
STAGE 2—ACID-FORMING STAGE
STAGE 3—METHANOGENESIS STAGE

Kenya National Domestic Biogas part 1

EXECUTIVE

The
Partnership Programme), funded by the Directorate General for International Cooperation (DGIS)
under the Netherlands Ministry of Foreign Affairs. ABPP is part of a broader objective of DGIS
targeting the provision of sustainable energy to 10 million people by the year 2015. It is being
supported by DGIS through two Dutch development NGOs, the Humanist Institute for Cooperation
with Developing Countries (Hivos) and the Netherlands Development Organisation (SNV).

The overall objective of the Programme is to contribute to the achievement of the Millennium
Development Goals (MDGs) through the dissemination of domestic biogas plants as a local,
sustainable energy source through the development of a commercially viable, market‐oriented
biogas sector. ABPP targets to facilitate the construction of about 70,500 biogas plants in the six
participating countries, providing about half a million people access to a sustainable source of
energy.
The
taken by the Kenya National Federation of Agricultural Producers (KENFAP), in its capacity as the
National Implementing Agency (NIA) for KENDBIP. Sector development implies the close
collaboration
levels:
as the “sector leader” tasked with the stimulation of commercial interaction between the biogas
households (potential customers), Biogas Construction Enterprises (BCEs) and Biogas service
providers.
sector
development of the domestic biogas sector in Kenya.

This PID proposes that KENDBIP be implemented based on private sector market oriented principles,
but relying on governmental support for a favourable regulatory and policy environment, as well as
general buy‐in promotion and extension. KENDBIP will stimulate the installation of 8,000 domestic
biogas plants country wide, largely of 6m3 to 12m3 capacity, over a period of 4½ years (July 2009 to
December 2013). It will establish biogas plants through over 100 biogas‐related enterprises engaged
in construction, appliances and parts.

The programme adopts and customizes the approach to biodigester dissemination developed by
SNV – the ‘multi‐stakeholders sector development approach’. This approach, which has been
successfully implemented in Asia, is based on the establishment, over time, “of a market for
domestic biogas installations and accessories, in which a well‐informed demand side – i.e. in which
clients who know what they want, recognize quality and value for money – links up with an equally
capable supply side that provides the market with quality products at competitive prices and with
adequate after sales services. Such a market should be able to reach a volume that allows a
significant number of constructors and credit providers to maintain an economically sound and
profitable level of turnover. In the process towards market development, the government, civil
society organisations, and other players in the public and private domain have a role to play in
addition to the main actors in the market.”1

KENFAP will operationalise a ‘Biogas Office’, which, once set up, will go through a participatory
envisioning process to ensure effective delivery of goods and services under KENDBIP. The Biogas
Office will be responsible for among others, promotion and marketing, training of Users and
Contractors,
monitoring and evaluation, quality assurance, sector coordination and subsidy management.
Depending on the need, existing organizations or institutions will be identified by KENFAP to take
responsibility for the sound execution of these functions.
KENDBIP
financial facilitation by SACCOs, MFIs, banks, formal and informal groups, and end‐users’ capital
from savings, current income, donations, family remittances, etc.

Promotion and dissemination will prioritise high potential regions identified by the Kenya Biogas
Feasibility Study2. Rural development NGOs as well as governmental and private agricultural and
livestock extension services are integrated in the programme plan.

To reduce the investment cost barrier of domestic biogas installations, the programme will provide
an investment subsidy, with each biogas plant under KENDBIP being allocated a subsidy at a flat rate
of KES 25,000 (about EUR 240), irrespective of the size. The subsidy is critical in order to achieve the
right balance between cost of biogas plants and forecasted demand. Having a flat rate subsidy will
ensure that users of smaller biogas plants achieve a proportionately higher subsidy‐cost ratio.

In addition, financial institutions will be encouraged to partner in the programme to provide loans to
the end users and the government will be approached to offer investment incentives. Bio‐slurry
application in agriculture will be used to enhance economic benefits.

End users will be protected against construction errors through a Code of Ethics for Biogas
Contractors and documented biogas plant performance warranties and appliance guarantees lasting
up to three years. A quality control protocol will be put in place to ensure that 100% of complaints
and requests for repairs are solved during the first 5 years after completion and that 97% of
biodigesters are still in use when the programme terminates.

KENDBIP will utilise a total budget of EUR 10.443 million, out of which EUR 5.049 million or about
48% will be contribution from ends users, and EUR 4.939 million from ABPP (Hivos: EUR 3.498
million
will be approached to provide leverage of EUR 454,806 or more. Funds from Hivos will have three
components:

It is expected that KENDBIP will lead to savings of 37,388 tones of fuelwood, valued at KES 194.4
million3
EUR 2.4 million). An estimated 73,623 tonnes5 of CO2 equivalent emissions will be avoided, and the
health of over 15,000 men and women and over 38,800 children will be significantly improved.
Approximately 15 to 18 million6 hours per annum (equivalent to about 2,000 person‐years) will be
saved for women and children fetching firewood and other biomass sources for cooking and heating.
In
about 7,760 households, representing over 15,000 men and women and over 38,800 children7.
Employment
in addition to other direct and indirect employment in extension, promotion, credit, microfinance,
etc. – mostly targeting youth and incorporating women.
More Detail

Working of Biogas Plant Video Animation

Working of Biogas Plant Video Animation



This animation shall explain the biogas technique. You will be shown the process of a biogas plant Video animation · How to build a biogas plant · Gas of grass! Biogas to natural gas · Theory / basics · Biogas simple animation describing just how simple it is to build your own biogas digester

Biogas News | Biogas digester picking up in Tsirang as well

Biogas digesterpicking up in Tsirang as well

Biogas digesterpicking up in Tsirang as well

Feb 24 2012Use of biogas digester in Tsirang is slowly, but absolutely building its way into the homes. Many farmers have now started replacing wood fed stoves with bio-gas. Our reporter, Pema Namgay, says the success of biogas digester plants in other Dzongkhags and its benefits are drawing the attention of the farmers.

Pema Wangchuk from Goserling Gewog in Tsirang built a big-gas plant last year. Pema Wangchuk,and four other farmers constructed the plants under the initiative of Bhutan Biogas digester project. They are the first group of farmers to start biogas digesterplant. And they are happy with the success of the project.

“The plant is benefiting us a lot. Firstly we no longer need to fetch firewood. Secondly the plant produces enough waste which can be used as fertilizer. And thirdly we no longer have to worry about the LPG shortage in the market. The four cubic metre biogas digester plant is enough for a family of five to cook throughout the day,” said Pema Wangchuk.

More farmers are now coming forward to construct their own biogas digester plants. Many more plants are expected to come up in the future. Til Bahadhur Nepal is one of those farmers who have decided to replace his wood fed stove with bio-gas. “Right now we are receiving help from the government. In future, the cost of biogas digester plant will increase. So I have decided to construct it now when government is helping us. It will be difficult later.”

Biogas digester is expected to become more popular in the Dzongkhag due to easy availability of raw materials and its multiple and economic uses. The masons, trained by the Bhutan Biogas digester project, are helping in the construction of the biogas digester plants.

Source:http://www.bbs.bt/news/?p=9930

Biogas production from oil palm waste is environment friendly

biogas production from oil palm waste is environment friendly

Biogas Project Gives Positive Image For Oil Palm Industry, Says Musa

 Sabah Chief Minister Datuk Seri Musa Aman is in no doubt that the biogas project being explored by the agricultural estate sector in the state, can create a positive image for the oil palm business.

He said it will be seen as an atmosphere friendly industry which gives serious thought to the safety of the environment.

He said the technology for biogas production from oil palm waste is not just environment friendly but also helps in the electricity generation for the plants and in the process, reduce the dependency on fossil fuel which is a source of air pollution.

"Previously, the disposal of waste from oil palm and the oil palm mills, posed a lot of problems for us. Now, it has become a source of electricity," he added.

Musa said this in his speech while officiating the opening of the Biogas Plant at the Sawit Apas Balung mill owned by Kumpulan Sawit Kinabalu here today.