A biogas plant's result is decided by day-to-day operation: process stability, monitoring, equipment servicing and safety.
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On 16 October 2023 the Council of the EU agreed its position on the revision of the Urban Wastewater Treatment Directive. By 2045 treatment plants are to produce as much energy as they use, with interim targets.
The act of 28 July 2023 amending the Energy Law, published on 23 August 2023, contains rules on connecting biogas plants with biogas storage, aggregation and the reserve supply of gaseous fuels. It enters into force on 7 September 2023.
On 31 July 2023 the New Zealand EPA approved (announcement of 10 August) the import and manufacture of 3-NOP, the active substance in Bovaer, which according to the manufacturer cuts methane in cows by about 30%; approval under the ACVM regime is still needed for use on farms.
JBS reported in July 2023 that biogas from a covered lagoon at the Rivalea plant in Corowa meets 85% of the peak power demand of the farm and abattoir; the company announced investments of more than 20 million AUD.
How to get from CHP capacity to tonnes of substrates, hectares of crops and silo capacity. A step-by-step calculation with explicit assumptions and a list of risk factors.
How to design and run a silage store: silo construction, covering, removal, effluent drainage, protection against heating and planning a year-round stock.
How harvest date, dry matter, chop length and compaction affect silage quality and biogas yield. Quality indicators, typical mistakes and ways of reducing losses.
On 16 March 2023 the Commission proposed the Net-Zero Industry Act (NZIA). The technologies covered by the target of 40% EU production by 2030 include biogas and biomethane technologies.
Wet fermentation operates at a dry matter content below about 15%, dry fermentation at about 20–40%. A comparison of technologies, substrates, energy consumption and typical problems.
In December 2022 construction began on Phase III of the Laogang bioenergy project (Pudong): 2000 t of wet waste a day, 1.65 billion yuan of investment and commissioning planned for May 2025.
Differences between micro, small and large installations: choice of digesters, CHP, automation, staff and unit cost. What is gained from scale and what is lost.
Which measurements are essential at a biogas plant, how to build a SCADA system, which alarms to set and how to use the data for optimisation and process diagnostics.
On 26 October 2022 the European Commission proposed a revision of the Urban Wastewater Treatment Directive. The proposal envisages energy neutrality of the sector, including energy production from sewage sludge biogas.
Drying is a way of using surplus CHP heat seasonally. We compare drying wood, grain and the solid fraction of digestate: heat demand and risks.
An ORC module converts low-temperature heat into electricity with low efficiency. We explain the operating principle, realistic yields, costs and when it makes sense.
How much heat a unit gives, how much the biogas plant itself uses and what to do with the surplus: heating buildings, drying, ORC, district heating networks. A balance with a calculation example.
What to service, when and why in a biogas cogeneration unit: oil changes, spark plugs, valve inspection, major overhauls and the effect of gas quality on costs.
What efficiency a biogas cogeneration unit has, what it depends on and how to calculate the energy from a m³ of biogas. The effect of part load, methane and temperature.
The flare burns surplus biogas when the CHP is not running. How an open one differs from an enclosed one, how to size the capacity, what safeguards are needed and why avoiding flaring is also a climate issue.
Sistema.bio has operated in Kenya since 2017 and offers prefabricated geomembrane biodigesters. We compare them with the classic masonry dome and show what figures the company itself gives.
Biogas from the digester is saturated with water vapour. We explain how much water it carries, how pipelines with drainage, chillers and adsorption dryers work, and how to match drying to the engine.
When biological desulphurisation is not enough, iron oxide beds, alkaline scrubbers and activated carbon are used. A comparison of methods, an example calculation of bed life and the rules for safe replacement.
The cheapest way of lowering H₂S: a small dose of air into the digester headspace and bacteria that oxidise sulphides. How to choose the amount of air, how to control it and what to avoid.
The double-membrane roof is the most common biogas store. How it is built, how to choose its capacity, how over- and under-pressure valves work and what to look for during inspections.
