BMP testingAnimal excreta (slurry, manure, poultry litter)
Horse manure — BMP: 36 studies, weighted mean 156 m³ CH₄/t VS
Horse manure contains a lot of straw or sawdust and lignin, so it gives a moderate or low methane yield; the bedding and the age of the manure strongly affect the result.
rating: neutralCH₄ ≈ 52 % (estimate)
Photo Rickjpelleg / Wikimedia Commons, licence CC BY-SA 4.0, source file; changes: cropping
- Weighted mean
- 156m³ CH₄/t VS
- Range
- 48–308m³ CH₄/t VS
- Records
- 36studies
- Publications
- 5sources
- Temperatures
- 36 °C, 37 °C, 38 °Cof the test
Methane in biogas
Medium methane content · ≈ 5.2 kWh/m³ of biogas
estimate from the substrate type The collected studies contain no measurement. The interval follows from the approximate composition (protein from total nitrogen (N 1.1 % DM × 6.25)) and the yields of compound groups according to FNR.
Rating for biogas plants
neutral — editorial rating for biogas plantsNo clear advantages — worth charging a fee for accepting it
Potential per tonne of fresh matter: moderate (35 m³ CH₄/t); no particular threats to stability. Handling costs: sand, stones, shells, fibres, floating layer, slow degradation.
Why? Rating factors
Potential per tonne +1
- +1potential 35 m³ CH₄/t fresh matter (BMP 156 × DM 25.7 % × VS 88.1 %)
Process stability 0
- 0no factors
Handling and costs −1.5
- −0.5sand, stones, shells — sediment in the digester
- −0.5fibres, floating layer — shredding and intensive mixing
- −0.5slow degradation — long retention time
Total points: −0.5 · thresholds: ≥ 2.5 very good, ≥ 1 good, below — neutral; negative with cumulative process risk.
Add to the co-digestion calculator CSV data
BMP curves from 36 studies
Weighted mean Individual records
Dashed lines are a model curve (first-order kinetics, B(t) = B₀·(1 − e−kt)); the end point comes from the publication. All curves are model curves.
Cumulative methane production over the test [m³ CH₄/t VS]. The thick line is the weighted mean of all records (156); dots mark the end values given in the publications. Point at the chart to read values; click a legend item to hide or show a record.
Show the remaining records in the legend (24)
Records and sources
Download CSV| Source | BMP m³ CH₄/t VS | Temperature | Sample | Curve |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kafle i Chen (2016) DOI | 148 | 36 °C · mesophilic | horse manure | end point (model curve) |
| Lallement et al. (2023) · 1 DOI | 183 | 38 °C · mesophilic | Horse manure | end point (model curve) |
| Lallement et al. (2023) · 2 DOI | 238 | 38 °C · mesophilic | Horse manure | end point (model curve) |
| Lallement et al. (2023) · 3 DOI | 241 | 38 °C · mesophilic | horse manure | end point (model curve) |
| Lallement et al. (2023) · 4 DOI | 251 | 38 °C · mesophilic | horse manure | end point (model curve) |
| Lallement et al. (2023) · 5 DOI | 258 | 38 °C · mesophilic | Horse manure | end point (model curve) |
| Lallement et al. (2023) · 6 DOI | 281 | 38 °C · mesophilic | Horse manure | end point (model curve) |
| Lallement et al. (2023) · 7 DOI | 308 | 38 °C · mesophilic | Horse manure | end point (model curve) |
| Mönch-Tegeder et al. (2013) · 1 | 88 | 37 °C · mesophilic | stored horse Manure with flax bedding | end point (model curve) |
| Mönch-Tegeder et al. (2013) · 2 | 102 | 37 °C · mesophilic | stored horse Manure with Wood-pellets bedding | end point (model curve) |
| Mönch-Tegeder et al. (2013) · 3 | 104 | 37 °C · mesophilic | fresh horse Manure with Wood-pellets bedding | end point (model curve) |
| Mönch-Tegeder et al. (2013) · 4 | 114 | 37 °C · mesophilic | fresh horse Manure withsawdust bedding | end point (model curve) |
| Mönch-Tegeder et al. (2013) · 5 | 118 | 37 °C · mesophilic | stored horse Manure with Straw/flax bedding | end point (model curve) |
| Mönch-Tegeder et al. (2013) · 6 | 128 | 37 °C · mesophilic | stored horse Manure with Straw bedding | end point (model curve) |
| Mönch-Tegeder et al. (2013) · 7 | 137 | 37 °C · mesophilic | stored horse Manure with Straw bedding | end point (model curve) |
| Mönch-Tegeder et al. (2013) · 8 | 150 | 37 °C · mesophilic | fresh horse Manure with flax bedding | end point (model curve) |
| Mönch-Tegeder et al. (2013) · 9 | 151 | 37 °C · mesophilic | horse dung | end point (model curve) |
| Mönch-Tegeder et al. (2013) · 10 | 153 | 37 °C · mesophilic | horse dung | end point (model curve) |
| Mönch-Tegeder et al. (2013) · 11 | 161 | 37 °C · mesophilic | horse dung | end point (model curve) |
| Mönch-Tegeder et al. (2013) · 12 | 163 | 37 °C · mesophilic | horse dung | end point (model curve) |
| Mönch-Tegeder et al. (2013) · 13 | 164 | 37 °C · mesophilic | fresh horse Manure with Straw bedding | end point (model curve) |
| Mönch-Tegeder et al. (2013) · 14 | 173 | 37 °C · mesophilic | horse dung | end point (model curve) |
| Mönch-Tegeder et al. (2013) · 15 | 175 | 37 °C · mesophilic | horse dung | end point (model curve) |
| Mönch-Tegeder et al. (2013) · 16 | 176 | 37 °C · mesophilic | horse dung | end point (model curve) |
| Mönch-Tegeder et al. (2013) · 17 | 179 | 37 °C · mesophilic | horse dung | end point (model curve) |
| Mönch-Tegeder et al. (2013) · 18 | 180 | 37 °C · mesophilic | fresh horse Manure with Straw bedding | end point (model curve) |
| Mönch-Tegeder et al. (2013) · 19 | 181 | 37 °C · mesophilic | stored horse Manure with Straw-pellets bedding | end point (model curve) |
| Mönch-Tegeder et al. (2013) · 20 | 187 | 37 °C · mesophilic | horse dung | end point (model curve) |
| Mönch-Tegeder et al. (2013) · 21 | 191 | 37 °C · mesophilic | horse dung | end point (model curve) |
| Mönch-Tegeder et al. (2013) · 22 | 196 | 37 °C · mesophilic | stored horse Manure with Straw bedding | end point (model curve) |
| Mönch-Tegeder et al. (2013) · 23 | 208 | 37 °C · mesophilic | fresh horse Manure with Straw bedding | end point (model curve) |
| Mönch-Tegeder et al. (2013) · 24 | 212 | 37 °C · mesophilic | fresh horse Manure with Straw bedding | end point (model curve) |
| Mönch-Tegeder et al. (2013) · 25 | 215 | 37 °C · mesophilic | fresh horse Manure with Straw/flax bedding | end point (model curve) |
| Naji et al. (2023) DOI | 147 | — | Horse manure (HM) | end point (model curve) |
| Pyykkönen et al. (2023) · 1 DOI | 48 | 37 °C · mesophilic | Horse manure (pilot FB+HM) | end point (model curve) |
| Pyykkönen et al. (2023) · 2 DOI | 93 | 37 °C · mesophilic | Horse manure with sawdust bedding (farm) | end point (model curve) |
| Weighted mean | 156 | arithmetic mean 172, SD 56 | ||
Typical composition
- Dry matter (DM)
- 25.7% (range 8–81.6)
- Volatile solids (VS)
- 88.1 % DM (range 66–92.3)
- Nitrogen
- 1.1 % DM
- C/N ratio
- 51
Median and range of the determinations reported in the publications behind this substrate's BMP records (read from: MY-D); dry matter: 33 determinations, volatile solids: 29 determinations. C/N was calculated as the ratio of C and N content (% DM) from the same source. The DM range includes fresh samples as well as samples partly dried or dried before the test – for fresh material the lower part of the range applies, ideally your own measurement.
Sources: Kafle et al. (2016); Lallement et al. (2023); Mönch-Tegeder et al. (2013).
The composition of the raw material varies between batches — for plant calculations use an analysis of your own sample. The calculator inserts typical values automatically.
Process properties
Advantages
- Methane potential in the Substraty.pl BMP dataset: weighted mean 155.5 m³ CH₄/t VS (SD 56.0; 36 records, 5 sources).
- Considerable energy potential per tonne with well-chosen bedding (Hadin and Eriksson 2016).
Drawbacks and risks
- The type and amount of bedding (sawdust, straw) is the key factor determining yield (Hadin and Eriksson 2016).
- Fibres cause a floating crust and pump clogging; sand in stables.
Co-digestion — what to combine it with, what to watch out for
- combines well
substrates: high alkalinity (buffer) — e.g. Cattle manure, Pig slurry, Cattle slurry, Duck slurry, Rumen and digestive tract content
Slurry improves fluidity and buffering.[1]
Dosing
No source-based threshold; use shredded, do not exceed the mixing limitations.
Practical requirements
- ABP cat. 2 (Art. 9 of Reg. 1069/2009): manure, slurry and digestive tract content may be digested without prior sterilisation if the authority does not recognise a risk of spreading a serious transmissible disease (Art. 13(e)(ii)); in that case a minimum of 70 °C for a minimum of 60 min applies (Reg. 142/2011, Annex V Ch. III Section 1), and where they are the only material of animal origin in the installation, the authority may approve other requirements (Section 2 point 3).
- Shred: shredding increases the surface available for degradation and speeds it up, but does not necessarily raise the final gas yield (FNR 2010, Ch. 3 “Triturado”).
- Provide for removal of sand and heavy contaminants: sand is often strongly bound to organic matter and is released only in the digester, and sediments reduce its usable capacity, so a scraper or bottom drain is needed (FNR 2010, Ch. 3).
Sources of the process data
- Hadin, Eriksson (2016). Horse manure as feedstock for anaerobic digestion. Waste Manag.
- Kafle, Chen (2016). Comparison on batch anaerobic digestion of five different livestock manures and prediction of BMP using different statistical models. Waste Manag.
- Rozporządzenie (WE) nr 1069/2009 określające przepisy sanitarne dotyczące produktów ubocznych pochodzenia zwierzęcego (art. 9, 10, 12–14, 24)
- Rozporządzenie Komisji (UE) nr 142/2011 wykonujące rozporządzenie (WE) nr 1069/2009 (zał. IV rozdz. III, zał. V rozdz. I i III)
- FNR (2010). Guía sobre el Biogás – Desde la producción hasta el uso (hiszp. wydanie „Leitfaden Biogas”, GIZ 2013)
The co-digestion calculator will assess a specific mixture containing this substrate.
What it is and where it comes from
Horse manure arises in stables, riding centres and farms keeping horses. It consists of excreta and bedding: straw, sawdust or wood shavings. In Poland horses are kept in small herds, so horse manure is sometimes available in regions with a large number of stables, but is rarely the main biomass of a biogas plant. The dataset contains many records, including variants with different types of bedding and tests at several mesophilic temperatures.
Properties relevant to digestion
Horses are herbivores with fermentation in the caecum and colon, and their excreta contain a lot of undigested fibre. Manure is therefore rich in cellulose and lignin, and the bedding (especially sawdust) increases the share of hard-to-degrade material. The dry matter content is relatively high, and there is less nitrogen than in pig or poultry excreta. The fibrous structure can cause a floating crust and block pumps, so the material requires shredding. In stables, sand and hay residues often end up in the manure.
How to read the spread of results
The spread in the dataset is large. The main factors are the type of bedding (straw or sawdust), its amount, the feed (hay, oats, haylage), the age of the manure (fresh or stored/composted), and comminution. Manure stored in a clamp loses some of the readily available substances. In addition, the inoculum, temperature, substrate-to-inoculum ratio and test duration have an effect, and the large number of records from some studies may dominate the picture of the dataset.
In biogas plant practice
Horse manure is a difficult substrate: it requires shredding, a long retention time and good mixing. It is best combined with liquid and more readily degradable substrates. Accepting manure with sawdust reduces efficiency, so it is worth agreeing the type of bedding with the supplier. On the farm manure is a natural fertiliser, and in the context of ABP it is category 2 material, which may be used in a biogas plant under the conditions set out in EU and national regulations.
For comparison with cattle manure, horse manure is usually drier and more fibrous, so in the same installation it gives a lower yield. However, if the material has to be managed anyway, digestion is one of the alternatives alongside composting.
Methodology in brief
BMP is the amount of methane obtained from volatile solids (VS) in a batch test, given in m³ CH₄ per tonne of VS (numerically the same as NmL CH₄/g VS in the publications) and converted to normal conditions (0 °C, 101.325 kPa). The weighted mean gives each publication a total weight of 1, split equally between its results for the substrate — a paper testing twenty varieties does not outweigh a paper with a single sample. In inter-laboratory programmes the unit is the laboratory (total weight 1), and within it the weight of a test grows with the number of bottles (replicates). Results after pretreatment (e.g. thermal, chemical, enzymatic) are shown separately and are not included in the mean.
Solid lines are curves measured in the tests. Where a publication gives only the final result, we draw a first-order kinetic model, B(t) = B₀·(1 − e−kt): only the end point comes from the publication, and the shape of the curve serves purely as visualisation — do not read the production on a particular day from it. For this substrate k = 0.393 d−1 was assumed (median of rate constants k reported in the sources and/or fitted to the mean measured curves).
The statistics describe the spread of published results — a descriptive compilation, not a meta-analysis or a guarantee of plant yield.
Bibliography
- Kafle, G.K.; Chen, L. (2016). Comparison on batch anaerobic digestion of five different livestock manures and prediction of biochemical methane potential (BMP) using different statistical models. Waste Management 48, 492–502. DOI: 10.1016/j.wasman.2015.10.021 DOI
- Lallement, A.; Peyrelasse, C.; Lagnet, C.; Barakat, A.; Schraauwers, B.; Maunas, S.; Monlau, F. (2023). A Detailed Database of the Chemical Properties and Methane Potential of Biomasses Covering a Large Range of Common Agricultural Biogas Plant Feedstocks. Waste 1(1), 195–227. DOI: 10.3390/waste1010014 DOI
- Mönch-Tegeder, M.; Lemmer, A.; Oechsner, H.; Jungbluth, T. (2013). Investigation of the methane potential of horse manure. Agricultural Engineering International: CIGR Journal 15(2).
- Naji, A.; Rechdaoui, S.G.; Jabagi, E.; Lacroix, C.; Azimi, S.; Rocher, V. (2023). Horse Manure and Lignocellulosic Biomass Characterization as Methane Production Substrates. Fermentation 9(6), 580. DOI: 10.3390/fermentation9060580 DOI
- Pyykkönen, V.; Winquist, E.; Seppänen, A.M.; Vainio, M.; Virkkunen, E.; Koppelmäki, K.; Rasi, S. (2023). Anaerobic Digestion of Solid Agricultural Biomass in Leach-Bed Reactors. Bioengineering 10(4), 433. DOI: 10.3390/bioengineering10040433 DOI
All sources of the site: bibliography.
Other substrates in the group “Animal excreta (slurry, manure, poultry litter)”
Human faeces/excreta — BMP: 2 studies, weighted mean 322 m³ CH₄/t VS
322 m³ CH₄/t VS weighted mean from 2 studies
≈56 %
Pig slurry — BMP: 15 studies, weighted mean 260 m³ CH₄/t VS
260 m³ CH₄/t VS weighted mean from 15 studies
very good — editorial rating for biogas plants≈55 %
Cattle manure — BMP: 27 studies, weighted mean 149 m³ CH₄/t VS
149 m³ CH₄/t VS weighted mean from 27 studies
good — editorial rating for biogas plants≈52 %
Rabbit manure — BMP: 2 studies, weighted mean 218 m³ CH₄/t VS
218 m³ CH₄/t VS weighted mean from 2 studies
neutral — editorial rating for biogas plants≈54 %