A considerable potential with multidimensional benefits, not only for the primary sector, is unrevealed in the farm waste, when this is utilized towards Biogas production as a Renewable Energy Source. The Biogas production from anaerobic digestion (AD) of animal solid and liquid manure and a wide range of green organic waste converts these substrates into renewable energy and offers a natural fertilizer for the agriculture.
Biogas is a really promising form of renewable energy, with a positive impact on many levels, although at present its applications are limited in Greece. The operation of biogas plants in stockbreeding areas can immediately result in favor of the local economy and particular for farmers and breeders. Significant benefits include effective waste management, exemption from investment costs of sewage treatment, additional income by selling electricity to the grid, operation and maintenance costs reduction, and use of better fertilizers.
What we do
- We plan, design, supervise construction and commission autonomous biogas power stations and production units.
- We specialize in energy produced from slurry, manure and other biowaste, with or without the use of energy crops (silage, root crops) for the biogas product.
- We design and implement biogas projects for slaughterhouses, dairies, olive mills and food industries.
- We provide training and energy efficiency education to all personnel involved with our construction projects.
Biogas Facts
Biogas and Energy
Anaerobic Digestion (AD) is a microbiological process of decomposition of the organic substance, in the absence of oxygen, which is common in many natural environments and is practiced today to produce biogas in airtight containers that act as reactors, commonly named digesters.
A wide range of microorganisms are involved in the anaerobic process which yields two main end products: biogas and digestate. Biogas is a gaseous fuel comprised of methane, carbon dioxide and minor amounts of other gases and trace elements. The digestate is degraded substrate, rich in nutrients and is thus used as excellent fertilizer for plants.
The AD of agro-livestock farms waste is widespread across Europe and has become the standard way of handling waste with simultaneous production of electricity and heat, by burning the produced biogas in cogeneration CHP (Combined Heat & Power) plants (CHP) ) and high quality fertilizer.
The electricity and heat from cogeneration, is not only covering the unit’s energy needs, but the sale of electricity to the grid earns a considerable revenue to the unit. Significant revenue could also be secured from the fertilizer sale.
Direct Benefits
Biogas production and its subsequent transformation into energy, provides many environmental and economic benefits for the society as a whole and for the farmers involved.
The production of biogas strengthens the local economies, provides jobs in rural areas and increases the consumer’s purchasing power. It also improves living standards and contributes to economic and social development.
Benefits for the society
The current global energy supply depends highly on fossil energy sources (crude oil, lignite, coal, natural gas). These sources are the fossilized remains of dead plants and animals that have been exposed to heat and pressure in the earth’s crust over millions of years. For this reason, fossil fuels are non-renewable resources and their reserves are being depleted much faster than the new formed.
Economies around the world today depend on crude oil. There is disagreement among scientists on how long this fossil fuel will last. According to some researchers, it has already been at its peak – that is the point at which it has reached the maximum crude oil production rate in the world, after which the production rate begins to decline – or it is expected to occur very soon.
Unlike fossil fuels, biogas from AD is a renewable energy source, as it is produced from biomass, which is a living storage of solar energy through photosynthesis. Biogas from AD does not only improve the energy balance of a country, but it significantly contributes to conservation of natural resources and environmental protection.
Reduction of GHG (Greenhouse Gas Effect) emissions
The use of fossil fuels such as lignite, coal, crude oil and natural gas converts carbon stored for millions of years in the Earth’s crust, and releases it as carbon dioxide CO2 in the atmosphere. The increase of the current CO2 concentration in the atmosphere causes global warming, as carbon dioxide is a constituent of the greenhouse gases (GHGs).
Combustion of biogas also releases CO2, but the main difference when compared to fossil fuels, is that the carbon in biogas was recently taken up from the atmosphere, by photosynthetic mechanism of the plants.
Thus, the carbon cycle of biogas is limited to a short time (one to a few years). Biogas production by AD reduces also emissions of methane (CH4) and nitrous oxide (N2O) due to the storage and use of solid animal manure as fertilizer.
The GHG potential of methane is 23 times higher than the carbon dioxide and nitrous oxide is 296 times higher than that. Biogas displaces fossil fuels from energy production and transport and thus reduces the CO2 emissions of CH4 and N2O contributing to mitigate global warming due to the greenhouse effect.
Reduced dependence on imported fossil fuels
Fossil fuels are limited resources and they are concentrated in few geographical areas of the planet. This geographical fact creates a permanent and insecure feeling of dependence on imported energy, for all these countries that are outside the specific areas. Most European countries are strongly dependent on fossil fuel imports from regions rich in them, such as Russia or the Middle East.
The development and implementation of renewable energy systems – such as biogas from AD – increase the sustainability and security of national energy supply and reduce dependence on energy imports.
Contribution to the EU goals
Global warming handling due to the greenhouse effect is one of the main priorities of energy and environmental policy of the EU. The European targets for energy production from renewable resources, reduction of GHG emissions and sustainable waste management are based on the EU member states commitment to implement appropriate measures to achieve them.
The production and use of biogas from AD meet all three objectives simultaneously.
Benefits for farmers
- It relieves the farms from all additional investment and operating costs of – practically ineffective –sewage biological treatment plants.
- It relieves the farms from all currently existent waste management costs.
- It is an alternative source of income besides milk and meat.
- It provides less dependence on other income of traditional farming.
- It ensures long term income with state guarantees.
- It provides independence from the varying availability and energy prices.
- It yields the best compost and saves fertilizer money.
- It smells less.
- It releases space on the farm and provides expansion capabilities.
Waste reduction
One of the main advantages of biogas production is the ability to convert waste into a valuable resource, by using them as feedstock for AD. Many European countries are facing enormous problems associated with overproduction of organic wastes from industry, agriculture and households.
Biogas production is an excellent way to comply with increasingly restrictive national and European regulations in the use of organic waste to produce energy, while the digestate substrate is recycled as fertilizer.
AD also help reduce the volume of waste and the costs of disposal.
Creating new jobs
Biogas production by AD processing, requires manpower for production, collection and transport of AD feedstock, for manufacture of technical equipment and construction work, for the operation and maintenance of the biogas plants. This means that the development of a national biogas sector contributes to the creation of new businesses – some of which with a significant economic potential, increases the income especially in rural areas and creates new jobs.
Flexible and efficient end use of biogas
Biogas is a flexible energy carrier, suitable for many different applications. In many countries biogas is used for combined heat and power (CHP) or upgraded and fed into natural gas grids, used as vehicle fuel or in fuel cells.
Low water needs
Even when compared to other biofuels, biogas has some advantages. One of these is that to the AD process needs the least amount of water. This aspect is as important as the energy efficiency of biogas due to the expected future water shortages in many parts of the world.