Title:
Grass from Landscaping Measures in Biogas Production - A Systems Analytical Approach
Author(s):
Kälber, S., Leible, L., Kappler, G., Domnik, T.
Document(s):
Paper
Poster
Abstract:
In Germany, biogas has become a major element in renewable energy production. About 9000 agricultural biogas plants were in operation in spring 2017. In most of these plants, maize silage is used as feedstock. However, maize silage for biogas production increasingly blocks fertile farmland which might be considered as a loss for our cultivated landscape from an aesthetic point of view. This also requires large fertilization and crop protection expenditures, so there is a plea for more diversification in the feedstock supply of biogas plants. Grass produced by landscaping measures “L-grass” might be a real alternative. The study presented here aimed at investigating whether L-grass is suitable as a fermentation substrate for biogas production when considering its major technical and economic characteristics. The work was based on selected process chains starting with the supply of substrates up to the production of biogas, electricity and heat in biogas plants. The techno-economic analyses for the supply and use of L-grass were carried out assuming two biogas plants (150 kWe and 500 kWe), which are typical for the South of Germany. In comparison to a conventional substrate mix of liquid manure, maize silage, winter wheat whole-crop silage and grass silage, the analyses indicate that the competitiveness of L-grass could be maintained by additional acreage subsidies of about 200 € per hectare when replacing 20% of these previous substrates.
Keywords:
biogas, maize, manure, economical aspects, agricultural biogas plant, grasses
Topic:
Biomass Conversion Technologies for Heating, Cooling and Electricity
Subtopic:
Anaerobic digestion for biogas production
Event:
25th European Biomass Conference and Exhibition
Session:
2CV.4.28
Pages:
914 - 925
ISBN:
978-88-89407-17-2
Paper DOI:
10.5071/25thEUBCE2017-2CV.4.28
Price:
FREE
