The Generation of biogas onfarm using animal and dairy waste

Paul Wilson
AgriFood Skills International Fellowship An International Specialised Skills Fellowship

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errors1 or inaccuracies that may occur after publication or otherwise0 ISS Institute do not accept responsibility for the conse8uences of any action taken or omitted to be taken by any person as a conse8uence of anything contained in1 or omitted from1 this report0

i. Executive Summary

9airy farming in Australia currently consumes large amounts of energy and fertilisers0 7ith the depletion of fossil fuels and the subse8uent increase in price of these inputs1 alternati&e energy sources such as biogas generated on farm from animal waste may ha&e application0 In addition1 the waste material from this process is a &aluable fertiliser that could reduce the need for bought in chemical fertilisers0 This Fellowship aimed to determine if the biogas systems that are currently in use in )hina and Germany ha&e application on Australian dairy farms0 7hile feed in tariffs ha&e been used in Germany to assist in the adoption of this technology1 en&ironmental concerns ha&e been the ma:or dri&er in )hina0 The Australian dairy industry is fully e4posed to market forces so adoption of this technology will depend on the degree to which the local farming systems allow animal and other farm waste to be collected and how much of the biogas generated can be used on farm to offset bought in energy0 7aste management is increasingly a problem as dairies become larger1 especially for ;green field< sites that must meet stringent 3n&ironmental Protection Agency guidelines0 =iogas generation systems pro&ide an option for helping to deal with this problem by treating the waste as a resource0 A ;light bulb< moment for the Fellow occurred during a &isit to a ;state-of-the-art< dairy farm near Shanghai1 )hina0 This newly constructed 61""" cow dairy represented the future of intensi&e1 industrial farming in )hina1 and possibly the world0 7hate&er concerns people may ha&e about this type of farming1 it surely represents a future for a large segment of the industry> the dairy was reusing all waste product to produce both energy for use on the farm and fertiliser for growing crops nearby for use as cattle fodder0 7hile the Fellow gained no direct financial information1 it is his considered opinion ?based on anecdotal discussion and e&idence@ that the operating costs of this dairy would undoubtedly be lower than a comparable dairy that is still buying in its electricity and fertiliser1 despite the initial increased capital e4penditure costs0 It is the lower cost and highly producti&e enterprises that will become the successful future of the industry0

Table of Contents

i iii 1

ii. Abbreviations/Acronyms iii. Definitions 1. Ac no!le"#ements $. About t%e Fello! &. Aims of t%e Fello!s%i' Pro#ram (. T%e Australian Context S7AT Analysis

4 5 6
6

8 9 9 10 12 13

). I"entifyin# t%e S ills Deficiencies *. T%e International Ex'erience 9estination Ane - +ni&ersity of Science and Technology =ei:ing ?School of )i&il B 3n&ironmental 3ngineering@1 )hina0 9estination Two - Cingherui 3ngineering )ompany1 Tian:in1 =aodi8u district1 =ei:ing1 )hina0 9estination Three - Dia *illage 9airy )ooperati&e1 ?dairy waste biogas plant@1 Dia *illage1 =ei:ing1 )hinaE and a pri&ately-owned dairy farm1 Dia *illage1 =ei:ing1 )hina0 9estination Four - =iogas Institute of 2inistry of Agriculture ?=IA2A@1 )hengdu1 Sichuan Pro&ince1 )hinaE and )hengdu )huanyu =iogas 9e&ices )ompany td1 )hengdu1 Sichuan Pro&ince1 )hina0 9estination Fi&e - Daoa *illage1 Sichuan1 )hina ?+5 dry fermentation and kitchen biogas demonstration site@0 9estination Si4 - )hengdu Fong8i Industry and )ommerce )ompany td01 )hengdu1 Sichuan Pro&ince1 )hina0 9estination Se&en - Piggery Ane and Piggery Two 9estination 3ight - Shanghai 9airy )ompany1 FangGhou1 )hina0 9estination 5ine - +ni&ersity of Foenheim1 Stuttgart1 Germany0 9estination Ten - H=H Hussmaul =iokraft GmbF )o01 Gaufelden1 Germany0 9estination 3le&en - Hompostierung 7etterau GmbF ?Integrated waste management facility@1 Friedberg1 GermanyE and 2arburger 3ntsorgungs GmbF ?Recycling of biological and commercial waste@1 2arburg1 Germany0 9estination Twel&e - 2r Iohannes Horner1 pri&ately owned digester1 2unster1 Germany0 9estination Thirteen - Albert Fuber<s family farm ?biogas plant and farm supermarket @1 9Jsseldorf1 Germany0

14
#6 #' !" !! !.

30

31 32

Table of Contents

33 36 37 38

9estination Fourteen - =ioenergie Schneider GmbF B )o1 Husel1 Germany0

+. ,no!le"#e Transfer- A''lyin# t%e .utcomes /. 0ecommen"ations 1. 0eferences

ii. Abbreviations/Acronyms

=IA2A )FP Fe!SA$ k7 m7

=iogas Institute of 2inistry of Agriculture )ombined Feat and power Iron Sulphate kilowatt megawatt

iii. Definitions

2iolo#ical scrubber A microbial based system for remo&ing hydrogen sulphide from biogas 2iomet%ane 2ethane that has been created from biogas Close" loo' farmin# A system in which all wastes are recycled Co3#eneration Generation of electricity and heat Combine" %eat an" 'o!er 4C5P6 Generation of electricity and heat Di#estate Autput from a digester Fee" in tariff Payment from the go&ernment for electricity Fee"stoc Input for a digester ?eg0 animal waste@ 7ate fees Fees charged for dumping waste 7enset 3lectricity generator 5eat #ri" Piped hot water system for distributing heat 8et%ano#enic bacteria =acteria that produce methane Percolate 2ethanogenic rich solution Scrubber 9e&ice for remo&ing hydrogen sulphide from biogas

ii

1. Ac no!le"#ements

Paul 7ilson would like to thank the following indi&iduals and organisations who ga&e generously of their time and their e4pertise to assist1 ad&ise and guide his throughout the Fellowship program0

A!ar"in# 2o"y 9 International S'ecialise" S ills Institute 4ISS Institute6

The International Specialised Skills Institute Inc is an independent1 national organisation that for o&er two decades has worked with Australian go&ernments1 industry and education institutions to enable indi&iduals to gain enhanced skills and e4perience in traditional trades1 professions and leading- edge technologies0 At the heart of the ISS Institute are our Fellows0 +nder the .verseas A''lie" 0esearc% Fello!s%i' Pro#ram the Fellows tra&el o&erseas0 +pon their return1 they are re8uired to pass on what they ha&e learnt by>

1. Preparing a detailed report for distribution to go&ernment departments1 industry and educational
institutions0

2. Recommending
courses0

impro&ements

to

accredited

educational

3. 9eli&ering training acti&ities including workshops1 conferences and forums0

A&er !"" Australians ha&e recei&ed Fellowships1 across many industry sectors0 In addition1 recognised e4perts from o&erseas conduct training acti&ities and e&ents0 To date1 !! leaders in their field ha&e shared their e4pertise in Australia0 According to Skills Australia<s ;Australian 7orkforce Futures> A 5ational 7orkforce 9e&elopment Strategy !"#"<>
Australia re8uires a highly skilled population to maintain and impro&e our economic position in the face of increasing global competition1 and to ha&e the skills to adapt to the introduction of new technology and rapid change0 International and Australian research indicates we need a deeper le&el of skills than currently e4ists in the Australian labour market to lift producti&ity0 7e need a workforce in which more people ha&e skills1 but also multiple and higher le&el skills and 8ualifications0 9eepening skills across all occupations is crucial to achie&ing long-term producti&ity growth0 It also reflects the recent trend for :obs to become more comple4 and the conse8uent increased demand for higher le&el skills0 This trend is pro:ected to continue regardless of whether we e4perience strong or weak economic growth in the future0 Future en&ironmental challenges will also create demand for more sustainability related skills across a range of industries and occupations0

In this conte4t1 the ISS Institute works with Fellows1 industry and go&ernment to identify specific skills in Australia that re8uire enhancing1 where accredited courses are not a&ailable through Australian higher education institutions or other Registered Training Arganisations0 The Fellows< o&erseas e4perience sees them broadening and deepening their own professional practice1 which they then share with their peers1 industry and go&ernment upon their return0 This is the focus of the ISS Institute<s work0 For further information on our Fellows and our work see http>KKwww0issinstitute0org0au0

Patron in C%ief ady Primrose Potter A)

Patro ns 2r

I a m

e s

11

1. Ac no!le"#ements
2acHenGie 2r Tony Schia&ello Foun"er/2oar" 8ember Sir Iames Gobbo A)1 )*A C%airman 2r 2ark =ennetts 2oar" 8embers 2r Iohn =aker 2s Iulie =elle 2s Sue )hristophers 2r Franco Fiorentini 2r Iack A<)onnell AA 2r 9a&id 7ittner A2

12

1. Acknowledgements

Fello!s%i' S'onsor
AgriFood Skills Australia is the Industry Skills )ouncil for the agrifood industry> the rural and related industries1 food processing ?including be&erages1 wine and pharmaceuticals@1 meat1 seafood and racing0 The Fellow would like to thank them for pro&iding funding support for this Fellowship0

Su''orters
9an Papacek1 )3A1 =ugs for =ugs1 2undubbera1 L 91 Australia FeinG-Peter 2anG1 ecturer and )onsultant1 )entre for Sustainable 3n&ironmental Sanitation at the +ni&ersity of Science and Technology1 =ei:ing1 )hina Griff Rose1 Program 2anager1 A2!2A ?RIR9)@1 2agma PK 1 )anberra1 A)T1 Australia Shikun )heng1)entre for Sustainable 3n&ironmental Sanitation at the +ni&ersity of Science and Technology =ei:ing1 )hina 2ichael HMttner1 )3A1 International =iogas B =ioenergy )enter of 34pertise ?I==H@1 Austria Ieff )ollingwood1 5orco )ooperati&e td1 ismore1 Australia Hen Greenhill1 Fellowship Ad&iser1 ISS Institute Rebecca Stewart-Serger1 Internal )ommunications Ad&iser1 A2P 1 Australia

Em'loyer Su''ort
The Fellow wishes to acknowledge the support1 both financial and time1 gi&en to complete this Fellowship0 =eing in&ol&ed in a small family run business means that when the Fellow stepped aside to fulfill the obligations of the Fellowship1 other family members and staff had to stand in and fill the gap0 7ithout their support this Fellowship would not ha&e been possible0

.r#anisations Fello!s%i'
7overnment-

Im'acte"

by

t%e

Australian 9airy Farmers imited ?A9F@ 9airy Australia 5S7 Industry and In&estment 9epartment of Primary Industries1 *ictoria 9epartment of Primary Industries1 Parks1 7ater and 3n&ironment1 Tasmania

1. Acknowledgements

9epartment of Primary Industries1 Lueensland 9epartment of Primary Industries and Regions1 South Australia 9epartment of Agriculture and Food1 7estern Australia 9epartment of Agriculture1 Fisheries and Forestry 9epartment of )limate )hange and 3nergy 3fficiency

1. Acknowledgements

In"ustry-

AgriFood Skills Australia Australian 9airy Farmers 9airy Industry Association of Australia =iological Farmers of Australia 5ASSA N )ertified Arganic 5orco )ooperati&e Parmalat Fonterra ion 5athan 5ational Foods 7arrnambool )heese and =utter =ega )heese 2urray Goulburn )ooperati&e

Professional Associations

Australian 9airy Farmers 5S7 Farmers Association Lueensland 9airy Farmers Association +nited 9airy Farmers of *ictoria South Australian 9airyfarmers< Association Tasmanian Farmers B GraGiers Association N 9airy )ouncil 7estern Australian Farmers< Federation N 9airy )ouncil

E"ucation an" Trainin#

5ational )entre for 9airy 3ducation Australia 9airy Science and Technology N R2IT +ni&ersity Agricultural Science1 Faculty of Science1 3ngineering and Technology1 +ni&ersity of Tasmania 9airy Production and Technology1 +ni&ersity of Sydney The Fawkesbury 9iploma in 9airy Technology1 +ni&ersity of 7estern Sydney

Community

Australian =iogas Group N Paul Farris

1. Acknowledgements
.t%er

2ethane to 2arkets Partnership

$. About t%e Fello!

:amePaul 2ichael 7ilson Em'loymentAwner1 5imbin *alley 9airy ;ualifications=A in Rural Science1 +ni&ersity of 5ew 3ngland1 #(''0

The Fellow grew up on a family-owned dairy farm near ismore1 in northern 5S70 After graduating from uni&ersity1 he spent se&eral years working in a consultancy role in the cotton industry in northern 5S7 and the citrus industry in central Lueensland0 7hile working at =ugs for =ugs in 2undubbera1 he gained an appreciation for the comple4ities of melding modern industrial farming techni8ues and sustainable farming practices0 Returning to the ismore area he and his partner established 5imbin *alley 9airy1 producing a range of goat and cow milk cheeses and other products from their own milk supply0 The 8uest for a truly sustainable enterprise has led the business to in&estigate the possibility of using dairy waste to produce methane as an energy source for use on the farm0

&. Aims of t%e Fello!s%i' Pro#ram

The Fellowship pro&ided the opportunity to in&estigate both low-cost and high-cost biogas generation systems that are currently in use on dairy and other farms in )hina and Germany0 Germany represents world best practice in this field while )hina has many low-cost systems in place1 that none the less fulfil a need in the community0

In particular the Fellowship pro&ided the opportunity to e&aluate>

The design of a biogas plant The financial feasibility of a pro:ect ogistics of different feedstock )urrently operating high and low cost systems 2anufacturers of biogas plants and components )ommercially operating biogas plants on dairy farms in both )hina and Germany0

(. T%e Australian Context

9airying is one of Australia<s ma:or rural industries pro&iding farm-gate re&enues of OA$0- billion in the !""(K#" financial year and employing appro4imately -"1""" people directly on farms and in manufacturing plants0 According the latest A=AR3 statistics for the Australian 9airy Industry1 as highlighted on the Australian 9airy website ?February !"#$ +pdate@ ?http>KKwww0dairyaustralia0com0 au@ 1 it is estimated that the re&enues from dairy farming ha&e a multiplier effect of !0, in the regional economy0 The Fellow belie&es that as the industry enters a period of predicted sustained high energy prices1 combined with a re8uirement to reduce carbon emissions1 alternati&e clean energy sources and making use of animal waste streams has become increasingly important and potentially financially &iable0 It is also currently widely reported in the media that the world is simultaneously entering a period of reduced food stockpiles at a time of increasing climate &ariability1 a reduction in prime farming land1 increasing population and the subse8uent demand for food0 This ;perfect storm< on the horiGon makes the efficient and en&ironmentally sustainable production of food e&en more critical0 These forces reached a flashpoint in !"". resulting in social unrest in many of the world<s poorer countries0 Since then1 food supplies ha&e increased and prices ha&e decreased but at the time of writing world wheat1 maiGe and sugar prices were again on the increase0 Interestingly1 in Australia there is also an increasing demand for regionally produced and branded food from en&ironmentally ;sustainable< farming systems1 as e&idenced by the increase in regionally located1 small-scale manufacturers0 The reasons for this are beyond the scope of this documentE howe&er a widespread disenchantment and an4iety surrounding large scale agro-industrial farming practices may be a significant factor0 A farm-based &alue adding business that meets its own energy needs from an onfarm energy generation system will ha&e a distinct marketing ad&antage if it can sell this message to these ;an4ious< consumers0

SW.T Analysis
Stren#t%s The strengths of an on-farm biogas system include>

+se of a current waste stream Reduced reliance on increasingly e4pensi&e electricity Adour control Reduced potential for nutrient runoff and pollution0

Wea nesses 7eaknesses of an on-farm biogas system include>

Potential for high capital re8uirement for feasibility study and construction Figh management skill le&el re8uirements 7orkplace health and safety risks 5o ?or limited@ local knowledge or support for such start-up systems

Reduced a&ailability of animal waste for on-farm composting systems that are increasingly being used on dairy farms pursuing a biological approach to farming0

4. The Australian Context

.''ortunities A few opportunities for on-farm biogas systems include>

Alternati&e income stream to the business from energy sales Generation of local highly skilled employment as support industries grow to facilitate the growth of an on-farm biogas generation industry 7aste product from the biogas system used as a highly useful fertiliser0

T%reats The risks of an on-farm biogas system are not insignificant>

Increased re8uirement for capital in an industry that is already capital intensi&e Increased workload and management ability1 especially on family farms with little or no paid staff0

20

). I"entifyin# t%e S ills Deficiencies

1. System "esi#n an" construction
In&estigate suitable location for biogas digester with respect to current animal buildings and e4isting farm infrastructure 3&aluate type and 8uantity of animal waste and logistical issues associated with maintaining a constant supply to feed digester Scale the design of a suitable system to enable consumption animal waste supply and the generation of a useful amount of biogas to meet farm needs 9etermine engineering re8uirements of the digester 9etermine the possibility of using waste heat and gas for further energy generation1 such as electricity

It is vital that a thorough evaluation of feedstock availability and potential energy yield is undertaken first. Once this has been determined then a system can be designed to process this feedstock volume. The amount of energy produced can then be used to undertake the financial feasibility.

2. Financial feasibility
)alculate construction and operational costs )alculate a&erage biogas andKor electricity production on an annual basis 3&aluate farm energy needs on an annual basis +ndertake analysis of energy production costs and farm energy needs to determine net benefit to the farm business using standard financial analysis methods0

To ensure the long term successful operation of a biogas system it must comply with standard accounting and financial management practices. If a marketing advantage can be obtained by promoting the use of renewable energy then a cash-neutral position may be acceptable

3. .'eration an" mana#ement

9etermine daily1 weekly1 monthly and annual management routines )onstruct weekly1 monthly and annual maintenance schedules In&estigate the local and regional planning laws and other laws or regulations surrounding the operation of an on-farm biogas digester0

To ensure the long term viability of the biogas system, appropriate work practices, routines and systems must be developed and then implemented.

21

*. T%e International Ex'erience

Destination .ne 3 <niversity of Science an" Tec%nolo#y 2ei=in# 4Sc%ool of Civil > Environmental En#ineerin#6? C%ina.
Contact
P Professor Ing Qifu i1 Professor1 School of )i&il B 3n&ironmental 3ngineering P FeinG-Peter 2ang1 2anager1 School of )i&il B 3n&ironmental 3ngineering P Shikun )heng0 Ph9 Student1 Ph9 Student1 School of )i&il B 3n&ironmental 3ngineering1 )entre for Sustainable 3n&ironmental Sanitation0

2r FeinG-Peter 2ang pro&ided the Fellow<s initial contact with the application of biogas technology in )hinese farming systems0 The =ei:ing +ni&ersity of Science and Technology is a world-leading centre for the research and dissemination of research findings of practical biogas systems throughout the world0 It is hea&ily in&ol&ed in pro:ects funded by the +nited 5ations ?+5@ and The 7orld =ank0 7ith the permission of Professor i and with the cooperation of Ph9 student 2r0 )heng Shikun1 the Fellow was fortunate to be able to &isit se&eral working biogas plants in =ei:ing1 )hengdu1 FangGhou and surrounds0 The Fellow was also introduced to se&eral technology businesses that design1 install and commission biogas plants throughout )hina and the world0

.b=ectives
The main ob:ecti&e of the &isit to the +ni&ersity of Science and Technology was to in&estigate both ;low tech< and ;high tech< system design and construction from a theoretical perspecti&e0 2any case studies of different designs from around the world were &iewed0 9uring the afternoon &isit to the +ni&ersity campus1 the Fellow met departmental heads of staff0 7hile there he was shown a &ideo presentation of the main acti&ities and pro:ects currently being undertaken by the School of )i&il and 3n&ironmental 3ngineering0 The department is hea&ily in&ol&ed in the construction and commissioning of small-scale biogas plants in 3ast Africa1 Pakistan1 *ietnam and )entral America0 A pro:ect is currently being e&aluated for construction in )hile0 These pro:ects tend to be initiated and funded by bodies such as The 7orld =ank and The +nited 5ations0 The departmental library is a significant resource for researching the fundamentals of biogas production and system design0 Significant amounts of the literature detailed the application of ;low tech< biogas systems for domestic use or small holdings0

.utcomes
The Fellow became aware of how widespread small scale ;low tech< systems ha&e been adopted through out the world1 especially in de&eloping countries where mains power and other energy sources are limited0 2any of the resources in the library are from the #(."s and #('"s1 which in turn reference e&en older material0

Conclu"in# remar s
)learly the generation of biogas in low-tech digesters from &arious types of farm waste is not new technology0 The science behind it is well understood and if there is a clearly defined need for the gas produced and a source of substrate then engineering a low-cost solution has been pro&en o&er and

22

6. The International Experience

again throughout the de&eloping world0 Theses types of systems may ha&e application in &ery small scale dairy farms in Australia1 howe&er for most applications they would be too labour intensi&e0 It was useful howe&er for the Fellow to understand how widely adopted the technology is throughout the world0

Destination T!o 3 @in#%erui En#ineerin# Com'any? Tian=in? 2ao"iAu "istrict? 2ei=in#? C%ina.
The Cingherui 3ngineering )ompany has constructed a number of biogas plants in the =ei:ing area0 The first &isited was a state-owned piggery which produces #""1""" pigs for slaughter e&ery year0

Contact
P 2r Iackie 7ang1 2anager1 9epartment of International =usiness0

.b=ectives
This site &isit pro&ided an opportunity to e&aluate system design and construction0There was an opportunity to see a newly commissioned large-scale1 state-of-the-art biogas plant which dealt with the waste for a large commercial piggery0 The state pro&ided a #" per cent grant towards the total construction cost of R2=#"million ?A+9O#0, million@0 These included a ;bio-scrubber< to remo&e hydrogen sulphide from the biogas and back up pumping systems in case of mechanical failure0

=iogas digesters showing outflow into storage ponds

23

6. The International Experience

+nderground pre-treatment storage tank showing piggery in the background

.utcomes
The )hinese go&ernment is keenly aware of the hea&y en&ironmental price )hina has paid for its rapid industrialisation and dealing with pollution is often paramount0 arge scale industrial farming is necessary to feed )hina<s growing mega-cities and animal waste must increasingly be dealt with on site0 The main goal of this plant is treatment of the piggery waste0 )urrently the gas produced is used for heating the digester tanks but in the future it is planned to use this gas for heating piglet rearing facilities and hot water for use in the piggery0 7aste is remo&ed from the piggery on a weekly basis and stored until pumped into the digester0 Since pigs are monogastrics1 they do not ha&e any methanogens present in their manure so it is possible to store the waste before being pumped into a digester0 Ruminants naturally ha&e methanogenic bacteria present in their manure so storage for any longer than a few hours is not an option due to the production of methane which represents both a safety issue and a loss of energy0 Retention time in the digester is eight to ten days0 This is significantly less than dairy waste due to the lower fibre content of the waste0 At the end of the digestion process after the biogas has been produced and e4tracted1 digestate or ;waste< is remo&ed from the system and gi&en away to local farmers for fertiliser0 It was unclear how the li8uid waste was dealt with after being stored in se&eral large lagoons0 It should be noted that there is &ery little reduction in &olume between feedstock and digestate0 If1 for e4ample1 #"" kilograms of feedstock is pumped into a digestor1 then appro4imately #"" kilograms of digestate will be produced0

24

6. The International Experience

Conclu"in# remar s
Abser&ing a state-of-the-art system allowed the Fellow to understand the &alue of back up systems such as storage and additional pumps0 Gi&en that dairy waste cannot be stored for more than a few hours before it naturally starts producing methane1 redundancy engineering is important0 This is particularly important in the Australian dairy conte4t where labour constrictions mean that breakdowns are &ery disrupti&e0 A biogas system that does not fully utilise the gas produced may initially appear to be wastefulE howe&er1 the en&ironmental benefits from dealing with the waste stream must not be discounted0 The digestate is a &aluable fertiliser0 Fowe&er1 it must also be understood that the digestate is a high-&olume1 low- dollar&alue product so transporting it beyond the immediate area is seemingly not cost effecti&e0 This was reflected in the ;fertiliser< being gi&en away to local farmers as opposed to being sold0

Destination T%ree 3 Bia Cilla#e Dairy Coo'erative? 4"airy !aste bio#as 'lant6? Bia Cilla#e? 2ei=in#? C%inaD an" a 'rivately3o!ne" "airy farm? Bia Cilla#e? 2ei=in#? C%ina.
Contact
P 2r0 Iackie 7ang1 Cingherui 3ngineering )ompany1 =ei:ing1 )hina0

.b=ectives
System design and construction1 financial feasibility and operation and management were e&aluated at this site0This cooperati&ely owned system illustrates how capital costs can be defrayed amongst many farmers and how the gas produced can be utilised beyond the farm gate0 The system was engineered to meet the needs of dairy waste that is &ery high in fibre and pro&ided a useful comparison to the pre&ious plant1 Cingherui 3ngineering )ompany that dealt only with low-fibre piggery waste0 ogistical issues surrounding the collection and treatment of waste from many sources was also obser&ed0

.utcomes
This biogas plant was owned and managed as a cooperati&e by the local &illage and dairy farmers0 Slurry from indi&idual farms is collected and transported to the facility in open trucks0 It is pumped directly from the recei&ing tank to the digester1 again because of the naturally occurring methanogenic bacteria present in the ruminant waste0 Ruminant waste has high fibre content and re8uires a longer retention time of -" days to efficiently degrade it and produce methane0 This system in use at this biogas plant had two tanks gi&ing a residence time of !" days in each tank0 The digestate o&erflowed from the bottom of the first tank into the top of the second0 7ith the piping designed this way1 the smaller1 more digested particles sink to the bottom of the tank and are pushed into the top of the second tank under hydraulic pressure0 The system used an iron sulphate scrubber to remo&e hydrogen sulphide from the biogas0 If hydrogen sulphide is not remo&ed prior to burning1 sulphuric acid is produced which corrodes the burner0 The iron sulphate canisters are replaced e&ery si4 months and are an easier system than a biological scrubber to manage0

25

6. The International Experience

Sufficient biogas is produced at this site to meet the daily heating and cooking needs of $"" families0 It should be noted that a family<s needs e8uates to one cooking ring1 one or two gas lights and a gas heater for two to four adults and one child1 which is significantly less energy than a typical Australian family consumes0

$""m$ digester is considered a medium siGed unit0

9airy cow slurry being deli&ered to the cooperati&ely owned biogas plant0

Conclu"in# remar s
)ooperati&e systems work similarly to the way Australian farmers use contract ser&ices for har&esting or ;machinery pools<0 A sufficient density of farms in a limited area this may impact positi&ely on application in Australia0 The &iability of a cooperati&e or ;contract< system depends on transport costs for both the waste to the facility and digestate away from the facility0 It must be remembered that both cattle slurry and digestate are both low &alue products1 so transport to and from the digester 8uickly becomes financially un&iable as distance increases0 The food growing regions around =ei:ing ha&e huge groundwater contamination issues so the effecti&e management of these problems may be of greater importance than the cost-effecti&e production of biogas0 This may become an issue in Australia if the trend to larger feed lot style dairies increases0

26

6. The International Experience

Destination Four 3 2io#as Institute of 8inistry of A#riculture 42I.8A6? C%en#"u? Sic%uan Province? C%inaD an" C%en#"u C%uanyu 2io#as Devices Com'any Et"? C%en#"u? Sic%uan Province? C%ina.
Contact
P Professor 7u ibin1 Secretary of Foreign Affairs1 =IA2A0

.b=ective
The main ob:ecti&e of the &isit to =IA2A was to meet Professor 7u ibin who would accompany us to &arious sites o&er the ne4t few days0The Fellow was able to see first hand many of the domestic

27

appliances powered by biogas that are currently a&ailable0 2any of these appliances were de&eloped at =IA2A0

.utcomes
Sichuan pro&ince has the greatest number of working biogas plants in )hina0 7hat began as an+5 initiati&e to assist in the research and de&elopment of biogas generation systems in #(.'1 has since been taken o&er and e4panded by the )hinese 2inistry of AgricultureE such is the percei&ed &alue of the utilisation of farm and domestic waste for biogas generation0 =IA2A holds se&eral biogas training workshops and a conference e&ery year1 mainly in the design and construction of small scale systems for use in poorer rural areas of the world0

Conclu"in# remar s
2any of the domestic appliances for sale at =IA2A ha&e been modified for burning biogas directly rather than ha&ing to upgrade it to methane first0 They are undoubtedly important in de&eloping countries where other energy sources may be limited but they do show that it is possible to use biogas directly for heating instead of upgrading to methane0 Generally this in&ol&es increasing the air intake on the gas noGGle to compensate for the high carbon dio4ide content of the biogas0

In an Australian dairy farm conte4t this is important since the most cost effecti&e method of e4tracting energy from biogas is to burn it directly0 +pgrading to biomethane is an added cost so directly burning biogas is the cheapest option0

A gas light modified for burning pure biogas

Destination Five 3 Baoa Cilla#e? Sic%uan? C%ina 4<: "ry fermentation an" itc%en bio#as "emonstration site6.
Contact
P 2r Fu:in Fu1 2anager

.b=ective
System design and management along with financial feasibility were e&aluated at this site0 The dry fermentation process allowed the Fellow to gain an understanding of another type of biogas system and

how this affects system design0 ogistical issues surrounding feedstock access were also e4plored0 The production of gas for sale to the local &illage illustrated another distribution model0

.utcomes
This biogas plant was funded by the +5 as a demonstration site for the generation of biogas from feedstock other than animal waste0 Rice straw was purchased from local farmers for about R2=$"" ?A+9O-,@ per tonne deli&ered to the site0 2ethanogenic bacteria can utilise straw if it is ground finely to increase the surface area a&ailable for degradationE howe&er1 it needs to be inoculated with the correct bacteria to start the process0 In this case human sewage was added to the system to pro&ide the necessary bacteria0 Theoretically this only needs to be done at start-up1 howe&er in practice the bacteria colonies tend to become less efficient and die off after #! months1 so the system needs to be re-inoculated0 The science underpinning this phenomenon is not well understood and is the sub:ect of current research acti&ities0 Ance the system is running1 it is self-sustaining and :ust needs to be ;topped up< with a similar &olume of water and feedstock to the &olume that was remo&ed as digestate0 The straw is pul&erised in effecti&ely what is a &ery fine hammer mill0 The pul&erised straw is then stored for later use0 The gas produced was sufficient for about $""" local families and was distributed &ia an underground pipe network0 3ach household has a meter and a ;charge card< that is inserted into the meter to turn the gas flow on0 7hen the credit is used up the card is taken back to the biogas facility and recharged0 Gas is forced through the network by a floating drum storage system similar to many older natural gas systems that were in use in Australia0 3ssentially an in&erted tank sits snugly inside another tank with a &olume of water in the bottom0 As gas enters the unit the top tank is pushed up and maintains pressure0 As gas is withdrawn from the tank1 the floating drum sinks to compensate for the decreased &olume and this way maintains pressure0

=iogas digester to the left and a floating tank storage gas storage &essel to the right0 This system enables the gas to be pressurised for distribution0

Straw ready to be fed into the digester on the left0 Stored digestate on the right ready for return to the fields0

Conclu"in# 0emar s
Substrates such as straw illustrate clearly that all farm waste of organic origin can be used as a feedstock0 This is important since in the Australian conte4t dairy farms produce waste streams apart from :ust manure0 7aste hay1 silage and scrapings from feed pads are all &aluable feed stocks0 An understanding of which feed stocks are a&ailable prior to designing the plant will ensure that the correct pre-treatment can be applied before addition to the digester0 7hile it is unlikely that Australian dairy farms will sell gas off the farm1 this practice highlighted the importance of ha&ing a use for the gas to ensure the financial &iability of the system0 The floating drum storage system is a useful way to maintain gas pressure for use on-farm or at locations distant from the digester and may ha&e application on Australian dairy farms0

Destination Six 3 C%en#"u 5on#Ai In"ustry an" Commerce Com'any Et".? C%en#"u? Sic%uan Province? C%ina.
Contact
P 2r Qhang Tieyao1 President1 )hengdu Fong8i Industry and )ommerce )ompany td01 )hengdu1 Sichuan Pro&ince1 )hina0

.b=ectives
System design and construction were e&aluated at this site0 ow-cost modular systems such as the ones manufactured at this facility may allow for a significantly reduced capital outlay up front0 Abser&ing the manufacturing of modular systems allowed the Fellow to e&aluate their application in small dairy farms with smaller &olumes of feed stock and energy re8uirements0The possibility of e4panding the system using a ;daisy chain< model was also in&estigated0

.utcomes
)hina has an estimated !" to $" million biogas plants in operation0 2ost of these are small-scale systems utilising household waste and waste from chickens1 ducks1 pigs and possibly one or two cows0 These modular systems are constructed from fibreglass and are sold unassembled to reduce freight costs0 They are buried underground which helps maintain the thermal stability and they are fed manually0 9igested material flows out of the top and is also remo&ed manually0 Gas is drawn off from the top of the dome and piped away for use0The structure is rigid so gas is produced and forced out by the weight of li8uid abo&e0 There is no stirring of the digestate so the efficiency of the system is likely to be lower than other systems0 Also1 gi&en that there are no baffles inside1 it is possible that feed stock may ;short-cut< from the inflow to the outflow and be remo&ed before being fully digested0

The largest module a&ailable is eight cubic meters but they can be connected as a daisy chain with digestate flowing out one and into the ne4t0 As well as gi&ing greater fle4ibility1 this would also significantly reduce the possibility of digestate short-cutting and e4iting the system prior to being fully digested0

Fibreglass modular system ready for installation0 Inflow and outflow are located on the top of the unit0

Conclu"in# remar s

Fibreglass modular system installed ?looking from abo&e@ showing inflow to the left1 outflow to the right and gas line in the middle0

The cost of these systems ?less than OA#""" plus shipping@ means that this is a &ery cost-effecti&e way of ;e4ploring< a biogas system0 7hile most of the market for this business is domestic1 the potential to daisy chain these makes them applicable for smaller dairy farms0 The general rule of thumb is that e&ery dairy cow re8uires appro4imately one cubic meter of digester space so a one hundred cow dairy would need up to ten of

these units connected together as one system0 This would still cost only A+9O#"1""" as compared to in e4cess of A+9O#""1""" for custom designed systems0It is likely that larger modular systems specifically for dairy farm applications will be commercially a&ailable in the future0

Destination Seven 3 Pi##ery .ne an" Pi##ery T!o

Contact
P 2s0Tong =oitin1 9eTong 3n&ironmental 3ngineering )o0 td01 )hengdu1 Sichuan Pro&ince1 )hina0

.b=ective
System design and construction were e&aluated at this site0 =oth of the systems &isited were of a scale that 2r FeinG-Peter 2ang belie&es ha&e application on farms in de&eloped countries0 Fe felt this would be an ideal siGe unit for a !"" head dairy farm0 These systems enabled the Fellow to gain an understanding of how gas is used to produce electricity that is then used on the farm0 2anagement of en&ironmental issues such as odour and noise were also on display here0

.utcomes
=oth of the biogas plants &isited were $"" to -"" cubic meters in capacity and all of the electricity that was generated was used on-farm0 3ach farm had in the order of '"" sows each0 All of the energy needed to power these piggeries was generated on-farm deri&ed from biogas0 3ach pig shed was enclosed with large electricity powered e4tractor fans which pulls air through a water-cooled radiator at the opposite end ofthe shed0 All manure fell through the floor slats and then pumped to a holding tank from where it was pumped into the digesters0 There was an almost complete absence of odour at both sites0 These digesters had fle4ible dome membranes on the top that collected and stored the biogas0 The tanks themsel&es were insulated steel0 The insulation helped maintain thermal stability that is necessary for microbial growth0 Since pig manure is low in fibre1 it is periodically recirculated around the tank by a pump to ensure it remains mi4ed0 9airy effluent has a high fibre content which creates its own cycling within the tank so mi4ing is not re8uired0 Agitation can1 howe&er1 increase the rate of gas production0Gas that is stored in the fle4ible membrane flows through a ;scrubber< to remo&e hydrogen sulphide and is then pumped into the electricity generator where it is burnt0 The Genset unit1 a gas burning engine combined with an electricity generator1 did not capture any heat produced0 A significant proportion of the total energy produced is heat so this represents a loss from the systemE howe&er1 it met the needs of the farm0 )ontrollers on the Genset determined automatically when to increase power production to meet consumption needs0

-"" cublic meter biogas digester with fle4ible storage membrane on top0

Conclu"in# remar s
At -"" cubic meters1 both of these digesters were considered to be mid-siGe and ha&e application on &arious intensi&e animal farms in de&eloped countries0 As a ball park figure it was estimated that they would cost in the order of A+9O!"" to O!," to build outside )hina using German technology1 )hinese manufacturing and local labour for construction0 The Genset system was meeting the needs of both of these farms in terms of electricity productionE howe&er1 these units only capture a small percentage of the total energy contained in the methane since most was lost as waste heat0 A )FP ?combined heat and power or co-generation@ system would increase efficiency greatly by capturing the heat and using it to run a steam turbine that also produces electricity0

Destination Ei#%t 3 S%an#%ai Dairy Com'any? 5an#F%ou? C%ina.

Contact
P 2r Cifeng Shou1 FanGhou 3nergy and 3n&ironmental 3ngineering )ompany td01 )hina0

.b=ectives
System design and construction were e&aluated at this site0 Some management issues were also highlighted0 Two large-scale dairy farms were &isited and this allowed the Fellow to e&aluate state of the art systems that use dairy waste to efficiently produce heat and power0 The use of digestate directly as fertiliser and as a mi4 in a composting system was also obser&ed0

.utcomes
The two dairy farms that were &isited were both owned by the Shanghai 9airy )ompany1 a state- owned business0 They were de&eloped as model farming systems to showcase world best practice technology in both dairy herd and waste management as part of a Shanghai en&ironmental e4po held se&eral years earlier0 They ha&e significant e4pansion plans0 All gas produced was used on-farm since )hinese regulations prohibit the connection of such a large system to the national grid0 =eyond meeting their own energy needs they were mainly interested in managing the en&ironmental impacts of such a large intensi&e animal-based facility0 The first dairy farm used rice straw as the main feedstock and only used manure for inoculating the digester0 9igestate is combined with raw manure and composted to produce a pelletised fertiliser for sale0 The second dairy farm used all of the animal waste as feedstock in two #""" cubic meter digesters0 Also at the second dairy farm1 a &ery efficient )FP plant produced sufficient power for the heating and cooling needs of the farm and digestate was spread directly back on cropping fields as fertiliser0

)attle sheds on a 6"" head dairy farm0

Automated compost making system which processes digestate for application back to fields and sale0

Conclu"in# 0emar s
The Fellow1 FeinG-Peter 2ang and 2r Cifeng Shou all agreed that these systems represent the future of large corporate dairies0 3ffluent management is the ma:or factor limiting the e4pansion of farms0 =iogas generation pro&ides a means for dealing with effluent on site and meeting farm energy needs at the same time0 Fowe&er1 digestate is e4pensi&e to transport and will still need to be dealt with close to the plant0 )omposting and selling it as pelletised manure is a way of &alue adding to the product and thereby o&ercoming this restriction0 The large degree of automation on these farms is critical to ensuring the comple4 system runs smoothly0 abour is relati&ely cheap in )hina and pro&iding employment is paramountE howe&er1 in Australia e&en on smaller family farms it would probably not be possible to manage a biogas plant without significant automation since labour management is already an issue on many farms0

Aeration tynes on the compost making system for turning compost0

=iogas digester on a 6""" head dairy farm0

Destination :ine 3 <niversity of 5oen%eim? Stutt#art? 7ermany.

Contact
P 2ichael HMttner1 )3A1 I==H Fachgruppe =iogas

.b=ective
System design and construction1 financial feasibility and system operation and management were e&aluated during this leg of the Fellowship0The Fellow attended the International =iogas Aperator<s )ourse o&er four days conducted by I==H Fachgruppe =iogas and the +ni&ersity of Fohenheim0 The training was designed to pro&ide plant operators1 decision makers and in&estors with specific knowledge regarding the operation and design of biogas plants0 The course combined practical e4perience with theoretical and scientific knowledge deli&ered by senior e4perts within the German =iogas Industry0 There were three main areas of study>

1. System design and construction 2. Financial feasibility 3. Aperation and management0

.utcomes
Hey points from each of the four days ha&e been outlined below0 A complete copy of course notes will also a&ailable for download from the ISS website0Supporting documentation may also be a&ailable from I==H Fachgruppe =iogas and the +ni&ersity of Fohenheim1 http>KKwww0biogasGentrum0deK aktuell0html

Day .ne 3 Com'onents of a 2io#as Plant

In practice a biogas plant is a ;mechanical< cow0 The same microbial processes that occur within the rumen of a cow are replicated within the digester0 Fowe&er whereas in nature a cow is ." per cent efficient1 a biogas digester is only fi&e per cent0 The following are the basic components of an on-farm biogas system> 8IBI:7 PIT - this is an area for recei&ing and the pre-treatment of feedstock material0 )oarse material may need to be chopped finely or food waste may need to be pasteurised to meet go&ernment health regulations0 )hopping will increase the surface area a&ailable for microbial attack which will increase the rate of biogas production0 DI7ESTE0 - this is the fermentation &essel in which digestion will occur0 9igestion is a series of interdependent microbial processes that need a constant temperature and anaerobic en&ironment for optimum acti&ity0 The digester may be a simple co&ered earthen lagoon or a custom-built insulated tank0 C.:DE:SATE T0AP - biogas is appro4imately -" per cent water that needs to be remo&ed prior to burning0 This may be as simple as routing the pipe work underground so the temperature drop condenses the moisture from the gas0 The moisture then collects in a sump that is periodically pumped out0

SC0<22E0 - hydrogen sulphide is a small component of biogas0 9uring combustion it is con&erted to sulphuric acid that causes corrosion so it needs to be remo&ed0 2.IEE0 - if the gas can be used directly it is burnt in a boiler to produce steam or hot water0 E:7I:E - if electricity is to be generated the gas will be burnt in a Gensetunit to produce electricity1 or in a )FP unit to produce both electricity and heat ?as hot water or steam@0 This steam may then be used to generate more electricity using a turbine or for maintaining the heat of the digester0 Financial Consi"erations The two main dri&ers that affect financial &iability of an on-farm biogas unit are ha&ing access to sufficient feedstock and ha&ing a use for the energy that is produced0 2r 2ichael Hottner indicated that in Germany many biogas plants deri&e up to '" per cent of their re&enue by charging gate fees to drop waste material off for digestion since the cost of landfill is high0 Fowe&er1 he also stated that with the increase in competition for feedstock as the biogas industry has grown1 these gate fees ha&e disappeared in some areas0 The transport of feedstock to the digester and the digestate from the digester can become prohibiti&ely e4pensi&e due to the high water content of both0 Fa&ing a substrate source on-farm and being able to use digestate on-farm are the best options0 A lot of heat is produced when electricity is generated and ha&ing a use for it on farm will significantly increase efficiency0 A closed loop farming system is likely to be more financially &iable1 especially if there are no feed-in tariffs for electricity0

Conclu"in# remar s
There are many different engineering solutions for a biogas system but they all ha&e the same fundamental components0 The final biogas yield is the same regardless of the system usedE howe&er the rate of biogas production may &ary0 This may be of conse8uence in the Australian dairy conte4t since dairy energy demand may be higher than what some ;low tech< systems can deli&er0 In the 3uropean conte4t dairy cattle are housed for significant periods throughout the year so the ma:ority of the manure can be collected and used as substrate0 This is not the case in Australia so the ma4imum daily amount of manure that can be collected from holding yards and the dairy sheds needs to be calculated carefully0 The feed in tariff system in Germany ensures that it is financially &iable to burn biogas to produce electricity which is then sold into the national electricity grid0 This business model does not e4ist in Australia so indi&idual farms will need to ensure that they ha&e a use for the biogas on farm either for heating or cooling0 It should be noted that electricity generation by burning biogas is in practice not likely to be higher than $, per cent0 =urning biogas to directly heat water or for cooling is going to be the most efficient use0

Day T!o 3 2io#as Plants as A''ro'riate Investments

Financial feasibility was e&aluated in this module of the course0 The decision to in&est in a biogas plant should be preceded by a feasibility study0 The feasibility study is one step within the life-time of a biogas pro:ect as detailed below>

1. Pro:ect idea 2. Pre-feasibility study 3. Feasibility study 4. 9etailed planning of the biogas plant 5. Permission procedure 6. )onstruction of the biogas plant 7. Aperation and maintenance 8.
Re-in&estment1 renewal and replacement of components

9. 9emolition or refurbishment0
This report will deal with the first three steps of this path1 highlighting areas that are of importance to Australian dairy farmers0

1. Pro=ect I"ea
There are two crucial considerations at this stage> firstly1 how will the biogas be usedE and secondly1 how will a suitable 8uality and 8uantity of feedstock be secured to produce gas fromR 5o! !ill t%e #as be use"G In Germany the e4istence of generous feed-in tariffs ensure that biogas can be profitably con&erted into electricity that is then sold into the national electricity grid0 Indeed this is the business model of many farm-based biogas plants in Germany0 These farms produce crops1 mainly maiGe silage andKor sugar beets1 solely as a feedstock for the production of biogas that is then burned in a )ombined Feat and Power ?)FP@ generator to produce electricity0 3lectricity production is at best $, per cent efficient which means that only $, per cent of the ;energy< contained in the methane of the biogas is a&ailable as electrical power0 Significant amounts of heat are also produced0 9ue to the efficiency losses as energy is transformed from gas to heat to electrical power1 it is unlikely that this business model would be financially &iable in Australia without similar feed in tariffs0 As such1 it is the production of energy for on-farm use that should be in&estigated0 The 8uestion that Australian farmers must ask is1 S)an the biogas be used on farmRT 3fficiency losses that occur during electricity generation mean the first ob:ecti&e should be to use all of the biogas produced for heating andKor cooling0 Ance these needs ha&e been met then remaining gas should be used for electricity generation and use on-farm0 astly1 electricity produced abo&e the needs of the farm is a&ailable for e4port to the power grid0 If there is no capacity to generate electricity1 e4cess gas should be burnt in a flare to a&oid the release of methane into the atmosphere0 W%at ty'e an" %o! muc% !aste "o I %ave access to for use as fee"stoc G The 8uantity and type of feedstock a&ailable will determine the scale and type of biogas plant that is designed0 It is critical that the biogas plant be designed around the a&ailable feedstock and not the other way round0 It was noted se&eral times that pro:ect failure has often occurred many times in the past because this rule was not obser&ed0

Ance the 8uantity and type of feedstock has been determined a biogas system can be chosen0 Generally manure from ruminant such cattle1 goat and sheep is the easiest to manage in a digester0 Ruminants are nature<s perfect ;biogas digesters< so the waste contains all of the microbiology necessary to digest the waste in the digester0 Fowe&er1 gas yields are comparati&ely low since most of the energy has already been e4tracted by the animal0 7aste from mono-gastric animals such as pigs1 chickens and turkeys ?as well as humans@ pro&ides relati&ely high gas yields0 Food waste can pro&ide e&en higher gas yields0 Fowe&er1 biogas digesters using these waste types are significantly more difficult to manage0 The system must be closely monitored to ensure that the chemistry remains in balance and suitable for microbiological acti&ity0 In layman<s terms these systems can get indigestion &ery easily0 +sing a combination of ruminant waste along with a higher energy feedstock such as pig or food waste pro&ides the stability of former systems with the higher energy yields of the second0 W%at !ill I "o !it% t%e "i#estateG *ery little &olume reduction occurs during digestion of the waste0 Anly some of the carbon is remo&ed and all nitrogen1 phosphorous and potassium1 along with the micronutrients remain0 The digestate produced is in a slurry form and may be as high as (" per cent water0 2ost of the nitrogen is dissol&ed in the water and the nutrients are in their mineralised form0 This form ensures they are readily a&ailable for plant use as a fertiliser0 9ue to the high water content1 transport of the waste 8uickly becomes unprofitable so disposal on farm is the most logical solution0 If the feedstock is only animal waste then the digestate can be pumped directly onto fields0 Ather feedstocks such as green waste or animal bedding may re8uire pre-treatment through a cutting pump to ensure it is of suitable siGe for pumping through irrigation noGGles0 In 3urope where farming is concentrated and intensi&e the nitrogen loading rate of the soil must be considered when pumping onto the fields0 This is e&en more so during winter when plant water use declines0 This is unlikely to be the case under Australian conditions and is likely to be of considerable benefit since less purchased chemical fertiliser will be re8uired0 If the digestate needs to be stored for a period of time then the solids may need to be separated from the li8uid fraction by a screw pump or similar0 2ost of the nitrogen will be remo&ed in the li8uid fraction and since it is in a mineral form it will be readily lost to the atmosphere if it is not used 8uickly0 The solid fraction contains the other macro and micro nutrients in the mineral form and as such it should be composted along with a high carbon substrate such as woodchips or poor 8uality hay to ensure their stability for longer term storage0

Conclu"in# remar s
A site specific financial analysis needs to be undertaken by an engineer who can e&aluate all of the abo&e considerations0 A system can then be designed that meets the needs of the specific farming system0 =efore this analysis can begin the following information needs to be collated>

*olume and energy yield of feedstock to determine how much biogas can theoretically be generated 9aily1 weekly1 monthly and total annual a&ailability of feedstock will help determine the likely pattern of gas production and hence the peaks and troughs of electricity generation The method and &olume of digestate to be disposed of must be known to determine costs that will be incurred to deal with it

9aily1 weekly1 monthly and total annual energy demand N both electricity and gas N will enable determination of how much energy substitution can be achie&ed using the energy generated0

It should be noted that>

Small plants ha&e relati&ely low in&estment costs but running costs are relati&ely high 3conomies of scale are ma4imised at !," to $""k7 plants0 =eyond this siGe the transport of substrate and remo&al of digestate becomes less financially &iable Food wastes can significantly increase the yield of biogas so they are a &aluable feedstock if a&ailable closeby )FP plants generate significant amounts of heat that must be used to ma4imise efficiencies0 +nder 3uropean conditions appro4imately ," per cent of the heat generated is used to maintain the operating temperature of the digester but this will likely be less under Australian conditions Technology used does not affect the total gas yield1 :ust the rate of gas production0 The amount of energy ;embedded< in the feedstock is fi4ed and different technologies will be able to produce methane at different rates0

Days T%ree an" Four

Aperation and management were e&aluated in this section of the course0 These two days contained large amounts of technical information regarding the microbiological processes that occur in the digester and different tools for monitoring them0 2uch of this detail has been omitted from this report but is a&ailable online from the course manual0 .'eratin# Sc%e"ules A feeding plan needs to be determined to ensure that conditions in the ;mechanical cow< are kept as stable as possible0 Stability of the system is critical to its efficient operation0 Ance a feeding plan has been determined1 manure collection programs can be put in place to ensure a steady supply of substrate0 The start-up of the system is the most critical0 Rather than one microorganism being responsible for the production of biogas there are many interdependent microorganisms that ha&e distinct roles in the chain of production0 3ach microorganism must acti&ely play its role or else the digester will ;die<0 To this end many key indicators of digester ;health< need to be monitored including> temperature1 gas yield and composition1 pF1 agitation hours1 power output and feeding rates need to be logged0 *isual inspections and smell should be noted as well0 )hanges made to the feeding regime may take up to two weeks to become e&ident so need feedstock to be introduced slowly0 Pre3stora#e an" Treatment of Fee"stoc 2icrobial acti&ity and biogas yield is increased when the substrate is fine and has a large surface area0 The pre-treatment by chopping or grinding of coarse substrate such as waste hay or woody plant material may be necessary to ensure efficient digestion0 This can be done using &arious cutting pumps that are commercially a&ailable0 The feed-in and pre-treatment systems suffer the greatest wear and tear and re8uire significant maintenance0 Agitators are the ne4t item sub:ect to most wear and tear0 The )FP units re8uire the least maintenance although oil consumption can be considerable and needs to be factored into the running costs0

Conclu"in# remar s
A well designed system does not re8uire significant labour inputs0 The Fellow &isited one large system where the plant re8uired at most one hour per day of labour1 howe&er the owner had in&ested hea&ily in automation technology0 In the Australian dairy farm conte4t it is likely that significant automation would be re8uired since these farms already face labour constraints0 The day to day monitoring of a biogas plant does re8uire skillE howe&er gi&en that it is a ;mechanical cow< it is likely that most good dairy herd managers would ha&e these skills already0

Destination Ten 3 ,2, ,ussmaul 2io raft 7mb5 Co.? 7aufel"en? 7ermany.
Contact
P 2r0 IJrgen HuUmaul1 9e&eloperKAwner

.b=ectives
System design1 financial feasibility and operation and management were e&aluated at this site0 This biogas plant ga&e the Fellow an opportunity to see another digester construction method0The daily work schedule was also discussed along with other skills and knowledge that facilitated the decision to start a biogas generation business0Financial considerations were also discussed0

.utcomes
This farm was interesting since while initially a dairy farm1 the owners made the decision to close the dairy business and concentrate fulltime on biogas0 The owner had pre&iously undertaken contract work on many nearby farms and businesses so he had a detailed knowledge of the type and 8uantities of substrates a&ailable for use0 This farm processes a large amount of bakery and food waste0 It charges a gate fee to customers who need to dump organic material that represented about half of the income for this business0 The fees ha&e decreased o&er time and the rate &aries depending on what the feedstock is0 Any wrappings that need to be remo&ed ob&iously results in higher fees being charged0 =iogas is burnt in a )FP unit and the electricity is sold into the national grid and it attracts a feed in tariff0 This system was constructed from concrete in !"",0 )urrently the digester takes three hours per day to maintain0 Sourcing feedstock and managing other aspects of the business takes the remainder of the working day0The farm owners work with a consultant who monitors the digester routinely for gas production efficiency and feeding strategies0

=akery waste ready for pre-treatment and feeding into the digester

2aiGe silage being made for use as feedstock at a later date0

=iogas digester with fle4ible membrane storage &essel on the left0

Conclu"in# 0emar s
Although the business is breaking e&en1 the absence of gate fees has significantly reduced profitability0 This has reinforced in the Fellow<s mind the importance in the Australian conte4t of ha&ing both a readily a&ailable source of feedstock as well as an on-farm use for the biogas and energy produced0 7ithout the feed in tariff this business model would not work0 In Germany it has been so successful that the go&ernment regulation has been introduced to restrict the amount of agricultural land on any one farm that can be de&oted to biogas generation0 It now stands at $" per cent0 =efore this regulation was in place the e4tra farm income generated by the feed in tariff was being capitalised into land &alues0 There was a general concern that higher land prices would result in food production becoming un&iable0 7ith the absence of these tariffs in Australia it would be unlikely that land price inflation would occur0 The use of consultants is widely accepted in the Australian dairy industry so the adoption of this system would seem to be an effecti&e way of reducing the management labour as well0

Destination Eleven 3 ,om'ostierun# Wetterau 7mb5 4Inte#rate" !aste mana#ement facility6? Frie"ber#? 7ermanyD an" 8arbur#er Entsor#un#s 7mb5 40ecyclin# of biolo#ical an" commercial !aste6? 8arbur#? 7ermany.
Contact
P 2r Hurt Schaefer1 Aperations 2anager

.b=ectives
System design was e&aluated at this site0 ocal and regional planning laws and regulations surrounding the business were also discussed0 The Fellow was also able to see firsthand how different waste streams can be utilised as feedstock0 Also on display was the biogas digester being utilised within a larger waste management business0

.utcomes
Sending organic material to landfill in Germany was made illegal in !"", after a ten year ad:ustment period0 This has resulted in the creation of many start-up businesses that collect organic household waste and green waste for composting0 7ith the ad&ent of renewable energy feed-in tariffs1 many of these businesses ha&e ;added on< a biogas digester system to e4tract the energy before composting0 9ue to the disease risk1 3+ regulations prohibit the use of restaurant waste as a feedstock1 although household waste may be used0 This was the first of many instances where plant operators e4pressed frustration at the maGe of often contradictory laws and regulations surrounding the biogas industry0 )onstruction and operation of biogas systems must comply with local planning laws1 German laws and also 3+ regulations which are not always aligned with each other0

Conclu"in# 0emar s
)learly waste streams are being seen as a resource in Germany from which money can be made0 Regulations and feed-in tariffs ha&e been necessary o&er a period of time to enable such business models to work0 The adoption of a feed in tariff may encourage Australian dairy farmers to adopt such technology also0 =iogas generation has a place alongside composting1 which in the Australian conte4t will enable animal waste to be still used as fertiliser0 It should be remembered that all that is being remo&ed from the digestion process is energy N all of the nutrients that are contained in the substrate are in the digestate1 although the form of nutrients may be changed0

Destination T!elve 3 8r Ho%annes ,orner? 'rivately o!ne" "i#ester? 8unster? 7ermany.

Contact
P 2r Iohannes Horner1 owner0

.b=ectives
System design1 financial feasibility and operation were e&aluated at this site0 The Fellow was able to see how access to feedstock and the pro4imity to markets affect decisions to locate a digester directly as a result of the feed in tariff0 The use of automation to reduce labour was also e&ident at this site0

.utcomes
This plant is another e4ample of an ;energy farming< business0 The owners grow and buy in crops specifically to produce electricity to sell back to the grid to generate income from the feed in tariff0 Feat was also sold and fed into the local heat grid0 The plant has been located on the owner<s land1 howe&er he also has access to maiGe silage and sugar beets from nearby farmers0 Sugar beets are an energy dense substrate that can be stored for e4tended periods ?greater than #! months@0 The engineers on the study tour were truly impressed with the design of this plant0 This one mega watt system re8uires only one person to run it for se&eral hours a week0 Automation has been included to the degree that it can be managed on a mobile phone o&er the Internet0

Conclu"in# remar s
9ue to the cost1 it is unlikely that this business model would work in the Australian dairy industry without significant go&ernment inter&ention in the form of a feed in tariff0 Fowe&er1 gi&en the labour restrictions in the Australian conte4t1 any systems that are built would likely need to ha&e a &ery low labour input and hence the degree of automation at this plant may ha&e application0

Destination T%irteen 3 Albert 5uberIs family farm 4bio#as 'lant an" farm su'ermar et 6? DJssel"orf? 7ermany.
Contact
P Albert Fuber1 owner0

.b=ectives
System design and financial feasibility were e&aluated at this site0 The Fellow was able to obser&e how the initial business model can be ad&ersely affected by changes in the market0 Subse8uent changes of en&ironmental regulations and its impact on the business were also obser&ed0

.utcomes
The Fuber family constructed a biogas plant on their farm in !"", using grain as a feedstock0 At this time grain was worth 3+R#"" per tonne0 Since that time the price mo&ed to 3+R!," per tonne at the time of compiling this report0 To ensure the system remained profitable they mo&ed to the use of sugar beets as a feedstockE howe&er1 the beets re8uire washing as a pre-treatmentthat added another layer of comple4ity to management0 They then mo&ed to adding a &ariety of feedstock to the digester including chicken litter1 corn cobs1 maiGe silage and green rye grass0 3n&ironmental laws ha&e also changed and now re8uire that all silage bunkers be completely sealed and bunded to capture all leakage and run off0 This has become a considerable added cost0 2r Fuber e4pressed his frustration at the increasing le&el of regulation surrounding the operation of his plant0 At the time of construction regulation was less and any e4tra capital e4penditure that he is forced to undertake now is not reflected in the initial financial analysis0

Genset built into a shipping container0

Conclu"in# remar s
It is ob&ious that the costs of feedstock may &ary o&er time and a risk management approach needs to be taken here0 In terms of changes to en&ironmental laws it may be wise to use industry best practice from the beginning e&en if this goes abo&e and beyond current re8uirements0 Australian dairy farms would likely use their own animal and plant waste as a substrate so should not be affected by changes in the price of grains0 Fowe&er1 the point needs to be made that if any substrate is being purchased for use in a digester any price fluctuation can affect profitability0 At times large amounts of waste silage or hay and grass surplus to needs may be a&ailable as substrate on Australian dairy farms0

Destination Fourteen 3 2ioener#ie Sc%nei"er 7mb5 > Co? ,usel? 7ermany.

Contact
P 2r0 Schneider1 Founder and )3A

.b=ectives
System design and operation were e&aluated at this site0The Fellow was able to obser&e first hand a ;garage digester< system and to gain an understanding of some of inefficiencies that surround the feed-in tariff system0

.utcomes
2ost of the systems seen to date were continuous flow models where substrate is pumped into a large usually round &essel and the digestate then flows or is pumped out0 For e&ery litre of substrate that enters the system1 one litre of digestate must come out0 The garage system is a batch system0 A sealed &essel in the form of a garage is filled with solid feedstock and then sealed0 i8uid percolate is then pumped into the roof of the digester where it trickles down through the substrate encouraging biogas production0 The percolate is collected on the floor1 pumped out and recirculated0 This system is less efficient than continuous flow systems but it met the labour re8uirements of this farm and was suited to the type of feedstock a&ailableE in this case it was dry rough waste hay and animal bedding material along with locally sourced green waste0 There was no li8uid manure on this farm0 2r 2ichael Hottner stated that three per cent of the energy produced in this garage system is used to maintain it as opposed to eight to ten per cent in con&entional digesters0 The garages were loaded and unloaded using a front-end loader0 The feed in tariff was only payable if 6" per cent of the heat produced from the biogas system was utilised0 In this case it was used to dry fire wood0 Fowe&er to meet this re8uirement it was noted that some farms pump the hot air continuously into the same batch of wood for many months to meet the legal re8uirement but ne&er replaced the wood0

Garage digester showing indi&idual ;garage< chamber doors0 These doors are hinged at the top0

Spreader used for putting digestate onto the fields0

Conclu"in# remar s
The garage system is better suited to drier feedstock but it is more labour intensi&e0 Gi&en the labour restrictions on Australian dairy farms1 this system may not be suitable although most Australian farms would ha&e the front-end loader necessary to load and unload the garages0 It is apparent that any Australian go&ernment inter&ention needs to be carefully planned since this farm was another e4ample of waste heat being used to dry the same stockpile of wood for many months to meet the contractual obligations0 In this case there were e&en some pipes &enting hot air directly to the air for no purpose0 Garage digesters may ha&e a place on Australian farms where there are large amounts of course straw or animal bedding0 Fowe&er most of the animal waste on dairy farms is too li8uid for use in this type of system0

+. ,no!le"#e Transfer- A''lyin# t%e .utcomes

It is clear that the generation of biogas on farms using animal waste is technically possible0 There are many established engineering solutions in both )hina and Germany that can ensure an efficient gas yield with minimum labour inputs that would ha&e application in the Australian dairy industry0 It seems likely that in order to minimise costs and ma4imise international comparati&e ad&antages1 a future model may be one of German technology1 built in )hina and constructed locally0 Gi&en the lack of a feed in tariff in the Australian conte4t the decision to proceed to construction and the subse8uent financial feasibility of any on-farm biogas generation system will depend on effecti&ely answering the following two 8uestions>

1. Is there sufficient substrate on the farm or close by that will meet the farm daily1 monthly and annual
energy needsR

2. Is there a use on farm for firstly the biogas directly and secondly any electricity that is producedR
The type of system that needs to be constructed for any particular farm will become apparent after these two 8uestions ha&e been answered0 In the process of answering these 8uestions a 8ualified professional1 likely an engineer with e4perience in this field1 should be engaged0 For smaller farms with lower energy needs and less a&ailable substrate1 a simple passi&e modular system may suffice0 arger enterprises may well need larger more comple4 systems0 arge state of the art systems constructed in )hina on 6""" head dairy farms suggest that biogas digesters in tandem with composting systems may be an important part of managing effluent on &ery large dairy farms that may otherwise cause groundwater contamination0 Any plan to progress the utilisation of biogas on Australian dairy farms must also broadly answer the same two 8uestions abo&e0 Gi&en the difference in farming systems between Germany and Australia1 in particular the absence of animal housing and resultant reduction in &olume of animal waste for collection1 a necessary first step would be an audit to calculate the likely ma4imum 8uantity and 8uality of substrate a&ailable for digestion0 This would include manure from the dairy and surrounding yards1 calf rearing sheds and other areas where stock is held on a regular basis0 7aste silage or hay and other surplus grass that could be cut1 or crops that could be utilised should also be determined0 Gi&en the di&ersity of dairy farming systems this should be carried out for large1 medium and small herd siGes in different regions within Australia0 The same process should be undertaken to determine the energy needs for heating and cooling on the farm1 both in terms of ;raw< heat and electricity to achie&e it0 Following this audit an engineer could be engaged to undertake a feasibility study based on the audit outcomes0 Go&ernment could play a ma:or role in facilitation of this process by underwriting the costs of the audits and feasibility studies0 If the feasibility studies indicated that biogas systems may ha&e a long term financial role on some farms1 go&ernment may e&en encourage the adoption of this technology by offering grants to assist in construction0 9airy Australia and other industry players such as milk processors may already ha&e much of this information already from different pre&ious pro:ects that ha&e been undertaken0 9airy Australia could o&ersee the collation of this information if it already e4ists or its collection if it doesn<t0 If the audit process indicates the likely feasibility of biogas systems1 as the peak industry body1 9airy Australia could lobby go&ernment for funds to conduct the feasibility studies0 The Fellow will forward copies of this report to 9airy Australia and ma:or Australian milk processors to highlight these findings indicating the respecti&e roles they could play0 At a local le&el the Fellow will also undertake information days e4plaining the outcomes to interested dairy farmers0 2ost processors ha&e ;farm walk< groups that will pro&ide an opportunity to gi&e a one hour presentation and 8uestion and

53

answer session e4plaining the Fellowship and its findings0 Gi&en the current increases in energy costs these will be timely0

54

/. 0ecommen"ations

There are many skills deficiencies within the three broad areas of biogas system design and construction1 financial feasibility and operation and management that ha&e been listed0 Addressing each of these deficiencies at this early stage when it is possible that the technology may not ha&e widespread application within the Australian dairy industry1 will likely be a waste of resources0 Simply concentrating on the two key 8uestions ;Is there sufficient substrateR< and ;Is there use for the biogas generatedR< is likely to illuminate the path forward more effecti&ely than a piecemeal approach of addressing each skill deficiency0 Se&eral key bodies could play roles in facilitating this process0 Recommendations to each body is outlined below>

Dairy Australia

)ollate andKor collect data to determine the ma4imum potential substrate a&ailable on three different siGe dairy farms in temperate1 subtropical and tropical Australia 9etermine the typical energy demand for each of the types of farms listed abo&e obby federal go&ernment for funds to undertake data collection and e&aluation and feasibility studies0

State 7overnment

Rele&ant state bodies assist 9airy Australia to collectKcollate abo&e information0

8il Processors

Assist rele&ant state bodies and 9airy Australia to collectKcollate abo&e information obby 9airy Australia to obtain funds for data collectionKcollation and feasibility studies from federal go&ernment0

ISS

7ithin the three broad areas of skills deficiencies many deficiencies e4ist0 If the feasibility studies suggest that biogas systems ha&e a role on specific dairy farms then ISS will need to ha&e Fellowships made a&ailable to farmers andKor consultants to fill these skills deficiencies to de&elop a broad and deep understanding of the construction and operation of biogas systems0

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1. 0eferences

1. Australian 9airy website ?February !"#$ +pdate@ ?http>KKwww0dairyaustralia0com0au@ 2. I==H Fachgruppe =iogas and the +ni&ersity of Fohenheim1 http>KKwww0biogas-Gentrum0deKaktuell0
html

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