Biogas station

Adeed 6. November 2012

The biogas station is a technological facility exploiting the process of the anaerobic digestion to process the bio-waste, or possibly other biologically degradable material. The main product of the anaerobic digestion is a biogas, which may be exploited as the alternative energy source. Anaerobic digestion, or bio-waste gasification, is a fermenting process, during which from bio-waste is released the biogas. The whole process is carried out in the fermenter of the biogas station in the environment without air access, under the effect of so called methanogene-bacteria (blended cultures of bacteria (especially methanococcus and methanobacterium) most frequently at the temperature around 30 - 40°C (mesophilic region).

The whole process consists of four basic phases:

hydrolysis - hydrolytic microorganisms fission the macromolecular organic substances into smaller molecules, capable to bet transported into cells, where further phases of the process are carried out
acidogenesis (acidification) – products of hydrolysis undergo the fission into simpler substance (acids, alcohols, CO2, H2)
acetogenesis – formation of acetic acid, CO2 and H2
methanogenesis – methane production from the mixture of CO2 and H2 or from acetic acid; by-product is CO2

Biogas is rich in methane (CH4) and in such way it is energy carrier. We are able to acquire energy from bio-waste when combusting it (heat and electricity). After the fermentation there is residuum - digestate, which is either of liquid or pulpy consistence. It may be applied directly at the agricultural land or when the water content is lower it may be stabilised by composting it.

Biogas and biogas systems represent the energy sources with highly positive benefits for the protection and formation of the environment.

The biogas is not able to replace the fossil fuels at their dominant position on market with the energy carriers, but on contrary to those there are broad possibilities for its exploitation in the future. Biogas systems represent in various alternative constitutions fully renewable resources, transforming and mutually exploiting the Sun energy. The significant proportion of the energy usable biomass is produced in agriculture and food stuff industry. Agricultural mass production is the most significant producer of the biological „wastes“.

Division of the facilities for biogas production:

• agricultural biogas facilities
• municipal (industrial) facilities
• other (biogas end stations at WWP plants

Biogas facilities are also divided according to the dry matter content in the processed substrate as follows:

• wet fermentation (dry matter content up to 5 %) (more expanded)
• dry fermentation (dry matter content of 25 – 60 %).

SELECTED ASPECTS OF THE ENERGY PLANTS GROWING FOR BIOGAS TECHNOLOGIES (BPS)

1. Permanent grasslands (TTP).
As the input raw materials for BSP offered can be the permanent grasslands, corn for silage and sorghum under the condition of the handicapped regions of Slovakia. The amount of quality of the grown fytomass depends on the soil and climate conditions, method of growing, harvesting technology and after-harvest processing. Costs related to the growing are to be covered by the earnings from biomass realised at the market.
The permanent grasslands (TTP) are significant culture plant, having long term tradition in Slovakia. They participate in the whole agricultural land in the proportion of about 1/3-1/4, i. e. about 500- 800 thousand ha. The production of lucerne in the year 2007 gained 6.95t/ ha and production of hay was 1.78t/ha. The production from TTP during the last 5 years gained 1487 thousand tones, with the average gaining of 2.97 t/ha, minimum was 2.41t/ha. Production potential of TTP depends on the geographic and morphology conditions, genetic soil type, type of soil, altitude, temperature and also depends on rainfalls, land exposition, underground water level, botanical composition of the vegetation and applied mechanisation. The gaining potential is in Slovakia exploited for about 25-65%. TTP are exploited prevailingly extensively, not sufficiently fertilised by the doses of the fertilisers and barnyard manure and liquid manure. They are additionally fertilised only in the regions where located are the large capacity breeding of swine and black cattle.
Reason for the less thorough care about TTP is the significant drop of black cattle number (from 3,5 million in the year 1990 to about 467 thousand in the year 2010) and swine from 1,5 million to about 687 thousand. The grasslands have not been exploited for another purpose so far. When using the TTP for the purpose of biogas production, the farmers must increase the intensification factors. Costs related to the grassy biomass growing at the meadows with lower productiveness with the dry matter content of 30% provides Kohoutek, 2006, Table 1.

Table 1: Costs of the silage production from the grassy biomass from TTP with the dry matter content of 30 %

2 Energy corn for silage
Corn becomes highly significant input raw material for BPS in last years. Under the conditions of the Slovak republic, corn is an integral part of the seeding processes and posses high mass gain under the relatively not demanding growing conditions. Corn is grown in particular in the warmer regions of West Slovakia; however the recent hybrids enable its growing even in the northern regions. But in these regions reduced is the proportion of the mass and as well the dry matter content, while sometimes it does not mature at the same time. Corn provides high energy potential – about 320,000 MJ/ha. In comparison to the crop, which gives only 216,000 MJ/ ha, the energy potential of corn is significantly higher. Right this fact gives new vies at the corn as the feedstock with the higher added value for the biogas stations (BPS). They grow it in Slovakia for the purpose of the animal feeding at about 85 to100 thousand ha. It is equally represented in the regions for growing corn, as in beet, crop and potato growing regions. Its proportion of the representation in the mountainous and under- mountainous regions is rather low. There are rather good conditions created in the agricultural firms to grow the corn for the biogas production. Corn may be grown even in sequence. The drawback represents the corn growing on the slopes due to the soil erosion. High proportion of corn in the seeding procedures brings about the risk of the organic matter deficit in the soil. There are in the agricultural firms very good conditions for the purposes of BPS even for increasing the seeding areas, as well the premises for storing and silage production from that type of biomass, while the number of black cattle has dropped by more than 60%.

Beside the below stated BPS, there are constructed 45 anaerobe biogas end-plants at the WWTP (total number of WWTP is 587) in Slovakia. In 18 WWTP there are installed also the cogeneration units with the total installed output of 3.3 MWel.

Por. č.	Bioplynová stanica	Inštalovaný výkon kWel	Zdroj	Využitie energií	Začatie prevádzky
1.	AGROBAN, s. r. o. Bátka	6 x 138	hnojiovica , ošípaných, slepačí trus	vlastná spotreba	1995
2.	PPD Brezov	65	hnojovica HD + energet. plodiny	vlastná spotreba	1998
3.	VPP SPU, s. r. o. Kolíňany	22	hnojovica ošípaných + mašt. hnoj	vlastná spotreba	2001
4.	PD Kapušany	100 + 40	hnojovica HD + kukuričná siláž	predaj	2005
5.	STIFI Hurbanovo	270 + 320	kukuričná siláž	predaj	2005
6.	BPS Ladzany - E.ON	1000	konzervované siláže	predaj	2009
7.	BPS Veľký Ďur	844	hydinový trus, hnojovica od ošípaných, srvátka, g-fáza	predaj	2009
8.	BPS Hont. Moravce - E.ON	1000	konzervované siláže	predaj	2010
9.	PD Ludrová	250	hnojovica HD + energet. plodiny	predaj	2010
10.	PD Chynorany	1000	poľnohosp. biomasa	predaj	2010
11.	BPS Malý Cetín - E.ON	1000	konzervované siláže	predaj	2010
12.	BPS Horovce - E.ON	998	konzervované siláže	predaj	2010
13.	BPS Detva	998	hnojovica + siláž	predaj	2010
14.	BPS Vrbina	999	hnojovica od ošípaných, siláž	predaj	2010
15.	BPS Nový Dvor (Veľký Meder)	999	hnojovica HD+ siláž	predaj	2010
16.	BPS Bystré	2 x 536	biomasa z poľnohosp. výroby	predaj	2010
17.	BPS Smolinské	995	biomasa z poľnohosp. výroby	predaj	2010
18.	BPS Choňkovce	696	hnojovica od ošípaných, kukuričná siláž, maštaľný hnoj	predaj	2011
19.	BPS Boľkovce	990	hnojovica od ošípaných, kukuričná siláž	predaj	2011
20.	BPS Sereď	1000	cukrovarnícke odrezky, výlisky z repky, glycerol, kuk. siláž	predaj	2011
21.	BPS Veľké Uherce	1000	kukuřičná siláž, maštaľný hnoj, hnoj ošípaných, listy cukrovej repy	predaj	2011
22.	BPS Trenčianská Teplá	1000	hnojovica HD, cukr. řízky, kukuřičná siláž	predaj	2011
23.	BPS Rozhanovce	1000	hnojovica HD+ siláž	predaj	2011
24.	BPS Turčianske Teplice	999	hnojovica HD+ siláž	predaj	2011
25.	BPS Huncovce	990	biomasa z poľnohosp. výroby	predaj	2011
26.	BPS Jelšava I	990	siláž, senáž, hnojovica	predaj	2012
27.	BPS Jelšava II	990	siláž, senáž, hnojovica	predaj	2012
28.	BPS Belá nad Cirochou	990	siláž, senáž, hnojovica dojníc a hnoj dojníc	predaj	2011*
29.	BPS Mestečko	720	kukuričná siláž, maštaľný hnoj	predaj	2011**
30.	BPS Ružindol	988	kukuřičná siláž, maštaľný hnoj a cukrovarnícke odrezky	predaj	2012**
31.	BPS Veľké Ripňany	760	biomasa z poľnohosp. výroby	predaj	2012**
32.	BPS Ladomírová	1000	kukuřičná siláž, maštaľný hnoj	predaj	2012**
33.	BPS Nenince	703	kurací trus, kukuričná siláž	predaj	2012**
34.	BPS Kostolná pri Dunaji	990		predaj	2012**
35.	BPS Plavnica	1000	hnojovica HD+ siláž	predaj	2011**
36.	BPS Bolešov-Kameničany	999	kukuřičná siláž, maštaľný hnoj a cukrovarnícke odrezky	predaj	2012**
37.	BPS Veľké Bierovce	999	kukuričná siláž, obilniny, trávna senáž, kurací trus, cukrovarnícke odrezky	predaj	2012**
38.	BPS Medzilaborce v k.ú. Vydraň	527	poľnohospodárska biomasa, biologicky rozložiteľné odpady	predaj	2012**
39.	BPS Sklabiná	999	Kukuričná siláž, senáž	predaj	2012**
40.	BPS Čiližská Radvaň	999	Kukuričná siláž, senáž	predaj	2012**
41.	BPS Štrkovec (Tornaľa)	999	Kukuričná siláž, senáž	predaj	2012**
42.	BPS Hertník	998	biomasa z poľnohosp. výroby	predaj	2012**
43.	BPS Želovce	999	biomasa z poľnohosp. výroby	predaj	2012**
44.	BPS Kolárovo	999	biomasa z poľnohosp. výroby	predaj	2012**
45.	BPS Bošany	2 830	Biologicky rozložiteľné odpady	predaj	2012**
46.	BPS Detva II.	999	hnojovica HD+ siláž	predaj	2012**
47.	BPS Detva III.- Želobudza	999	hnojovica HD+ siláž	predaj	2012**
48.	BPS Čab	výroba biometánu	biologicky rozložiteľný odpad	predaj	2012***
49.	BPS Jesenské	999	hnojiovica ošípaných	predaj	2012***
50.	BPS Ožďany	990	Kukuričná siláž, cirok	predaj	2012***
	* v skúšobnej prevádzke
	** vo výstavbe
	*** projekt

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