BMP (biochemical methane potential) is the amount of methane that can be obtained from a unit of organic mass of a substrate in a batch test. We compile the results of many publications for each substrate, calculate a weighted mean and show all the curves at once.
RSS
Two studies on Korean food waste: Cho et al. (1995) – a mixture BMP of 472 mL CH₄/g VS and dry digestion – and Lee et al. (2009) – a leachate BMP of 358–478 mL/g VS and the effect of temperature, alkalinity and salinity.
275 m³ CH₄/t VS weighted mean from 2 studies
≈52 %
351 m³ CH₄/t VS weighted mean from 19 studies
good — editorial rating for biogas plants58 %
190 m³ CH₄/t VS weighted mean from 3 studies
≈52 %
Calculation errors can change a BMP result by several to a dozen or so per cent. We discuss the corrections: dry gas, water vapour, headspace, solubility and gas mass.
367 m³ CH₄/t VS weighted mean from 4 studies
good — editorial rating for biogas plants66 %
326 m³ CH₄/t VS weighted mean from 5 studies
neutral — editorial rating for biogas plants58 %
An Australian study in Bioresource Technology (volume 391, 2024) measures the methane potential of dairy cattle manure across the country and shows that mechanical separation preserves B₀, while passive separation lowers it.
What a recognised review of BMP standardisation recommends: number of replicates, I/S, cellulose control, termination criterion and reporting. We discuss them and show how to use them.
156 m³ CH₄/t VS weighted mean from 36 studies
neutral — editorial rating for biogas plants≈52 %
315 m³ CH₄/t VS weighted mean from 2 studies
≈52 %
238 m³ CH₄/t VS weighted mean from 8 studies
good — editorial rating for biogas plants≈52 %
89 m³ CH₄/t VS weighted mean from 2 studies
≈52 %
341 m³ CH₄/t VS weighted mean from 7 studies
neutral — editorial rating for biogas plants≈52 %
Two elements determine the reliability of a test: the blank (inoculum background) and the positive control with cellulose. We explain their role, acceptance criteria and the consequences of failure.
394 m³ CH₄/t VS weighted mean from 5 studies
neutral — editorial rating for biogas plants59 %
I/S decides whether a BMP test ends in a result or an acidified bottle. The formula, guideline recommendations, a calculation example and the consequences of too low or too high an I/S.
384 m³ CH₄/t VS weighted mean from 2 studies
≈52 %
266 m³ CH₄/t VS weighted mean from 10 studies
good — editorial rating for biogas plants≈52 %
496 m³ CH₄/t VS weighted mean from 2 studies
≈58 %
777 m³ CH₄/t VS weighted mean from 4 studies
≈63 %
The inoculum determines the reliability of a BMP test. We discuss sources, degassing, control parameters (VS, pH, alkalinity, VFA, NH₄⁺) and the effect on kinetics and result.
346 m³ CH₄/t VS weighted mean from 2 studies
≈52 %
296 m³ CH₄/t VS weighted mean from 3 studies
≈66 %
