Upscale and demonstration of an integrated novel microwave pre-treatment system for efficient production of biogas from anaerobic digestion of pig manure to create a sustainable waste management system
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Assessment
FEFTS Specifications
Research project
for Clean energy supply (Energy production system)
Renewable energy source
Sewage treatment plant gas and biogases
Technology used
Biogas/biomethane production
Special type
Anaerobic digestion technologies
Energy produced
Electricity
Suitable/ideal for
AC
Agricultural domain
Livestock
Suitable for
Farmer, Energy generator, Advisory services, Industry
Applications
Energy provision (e.g. electricity)
Especially
Biogas/biomethane
Type of solution
Hardware, Complete solution
Details
Project`s acronym: Biowave
Project funding type: EU
Project funding source: H2020
Project coordinator: ASHLEIGH FARMS (ENVIRONMENTAL) LIMITED
Coordinator location: Ireland
Coordinator email / Contact form: info@ashleighenv.com
Project status: Finished
Total budget: 1948920
Additional info
Ashleigh Farms Limited are successful pig rearers for the pork meat industry. Currently they own over 1,500 sows that produce a combined total of 37,000 pigs per year. Regulations and targets in place to control pollution and contamination are leaving pig farmers with less and less economical use for pig slurry. In order to improve margins and remain in business pig farmers require an innovative solution.
Pig manure is typically used as an organic fertiliser for crop land or as a feedstock for anaerobic digestion (whereby microorganisms break down biodegradable compounds in oxygen free environments), for the production of biogas. However, challenges occur in the fertiliser sector when it’s nitrate values exceed what the cropland can consume. Regarding anaerobic digestion, while a good feedstock, it typically has very low biogas potential and consequently operating a biogas plant with pig manure alone is often unviable.
Making pig slurry anaerobically digestible for biogas, necessitates adding sources of organic carbon at a ratio of 8:1, rendering it uneconomical for farmers. However, biowave developed an innovative microwave pre-treatment technique that increases the compatibility of pig slurry for anaerobic digestion. Additionally, the system has great potential for enhancing biogas production from other typical feedstocks such as energy crops, cattle slurry and food waste.
The biowave process converts the hard carbon in the feedstock which bacteria cannot digest, into soluble carbon, thus improving the Carbon:Nitrogen ratio and so also the total bio-available carbon for anaerobic digestion. Organic material is pumped to the system and microwave energy disrupts the cell structure within the material making it significantly more digestible – resulting in higher biogas yields and faster anaerobic digestion.
Removing the necessity to add organic material increases the biogas yield from slurry by over 40 %, offering farmers a means to utilize ever-growing amounts of slurry.
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Assessment
This section contains a brief assessment of the FEFTS described.
There are 3 basic categories: General, Environmental and Socioeconomic assessment.
The purpose of this assessment is to give a quick overview to the potential FEFTS user of its application benefits.
For each question, the Likert scale is used with the following possible answers:
Strongly disagree, Disagree, Neither agree nor disagree (Neutral)/non applicable, Agree, Strongly agree
General
This FEFTS contributes to improve the energy profiles of farming systems:Environmental
The application of this FEFTS directly reduces fossil energy use, in terms of:- Tractors and vehicles fuel consumption
- Tools and equipment electricity consumption
- Manure reduction
Socioeconomic
The application of this FEFTS contributes to cost reductions of farming systems:Keep in mind that this assessment is subjective, based on publicly available information.
All registered users are asked to evaluate each FEFTS and when an adequate number of reviews is gathered the results depicted here are updated. Each review is screened in order to avoid malicious practices.
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