What is biogas?

What is biogas?

Biogas is a renewable gas consisting mainly of methane (CH4) and carbon dioxide (CO2). Biogas is produced by fermenting biomass in a biogas plant. During this fermentation process, bacteria convert the organic matter into biogas. The biogas is converted into sustainable electricity and heat in a Combined Heat and Power (CHP) system, or the biogas is upgraded to natural gas quality and then injected into the gas network or compressed into LNG.

In order to produce biogas, the following biomass can be used:

  • Animal manure (cow, pig, chicken, rabbit, etc.):
  • Slurry
  • Solid manure
  • Unborn manure
  • Residues from industry & supermarkets
  • Agricultural residual flows

The solid types of biomass are dosed with a telehandler in a mixing / hydrolysis (picture). The liquid manure and biomass is pumped into the mixing / hydrolysis with the pump system. In the mixing / hydrolysis, the liquid and solid biomass are mixed into a homogeneous mixture. The first step of the fermentation process (hydrolysis) takes place in this ring.

The mixture (menu) is pumped into the digesters. A number of agitators have been mounted in the digesters to keep the menu homogeneous. The menu is kept at approximately 42°C, at which the bacteria that produce methane live. The biogas is collected under gas-tight roofs. The biogas is then converted into electricity and heat in the CHP or processed to natural gas quality in the gas upgrading installation.