Title:
The Feasibility of Small to Medium Scale CHP Anaerobic Digestion from Grass Silage in Ireland
Author(s):
Goulding, D.J., Power, N.M., Murphy, J.D.
Document(s):
Paper
Abstract:
The Renewables Directive (2009/28/EC) proposes a 20% share of energy produced from renewable sources in final energy consumption of each EU Member State by 2020. In 2008, renewable energy production accounted for approximately 3.6% of Ireland’s final energy consumption. The CHP Directive (2004/8/EC) highlights the importance of sustainable cogeneration infrastructure. The utilisation of biogas to CHP from energy crops such as grass silage can help meet the objectives of these directives and considerably increase Ireland’s renewable energy production. It is predicted that electricity production from biomass will steadily increase by 24% annually to 2020. The utilisation of grass silage is suitable in an Irish content. Grass silage occupies the largest land area of any crop in the country. Currently, agricultural land use stands at 4.2 million hectares with approximately 80% of this being occupied by pasture, hay and grass silage. Furthermore, grass silage is easy to grow and harvest and does not require rotation. In terms of digestion, grass silage is a suitable substrate as it is easily digested. It also has the ability to be mixed with other forms of substrate such as agricultural slurry. In terms of biogas to CHP, one hectare of grass silage with the addition of 59 tonnes of agricultural slurry has the ability to provide electrical and thermal energy for 9.9 and 1.6 houses per annum, respectively.
Keywords:
anaerobic digestion, biogas, combined heat and power generation (CHP), grass silage, agricultural slurry
Topic:
Biological conversion - Fermentation, enzymatic processes
Subtopic:
Biological conversion - fermentation, enzymatic processes
Event:
18th European Biomass Conference and Exhibition
Session:
VP2.6.32
Pages:
1427 - 1435
ISBN-13:
978-88-89407-56-1
ISBN-10:
88-89407-56-5
Paper DOI:
10.5071/18thEUBCE2010-VP2.6.32
Price:
FREE
