Biomethanation potential in biogas and bioethanol plants in Finland
Ijäs, Maija (2022)
Ijäs, Maija
2022
Ympäristö- ja energiatekniikan DI-ohjelma - Programme in Environmental and Energy Engineering
Tekniikan ja luonnontieteiden tiedekunta - Faculty of Engineering and Natural Sciences
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Hyväksymispäivämäärä
2022-10-18
Julkaisun pysyvä osoite on
https://urn.fi/URN:NBN:fi:tuni-202210187668
https://urn.fi/URN:NBN:fi:tuni-202210187668
Tiivistelmä
Renewable energy sources and energy storages are needed to battle climate change. Biomethanation acts as a promising method of producing methane-rich biomethane by biologically combining H2 with CO2 stream. Biomethane is a renewable energy source which can be used for many purposes, like replacing natural gas as vehicle fuel.
The main objectives of this work were to find out the biomethanation potential in a typical case study and in the national level in Finland (including Finnish bioethanol plants) and to investigate potential biomethanation’s significance in terms of case study’s and Finland’s biomethane production. The main research questions were following: What is the biomethanation potential of a typical case study of a biogas plant? What is the biomethanation potential of Finland as a nation?
Biomethane and CO2 productions in biogas and bioethanol plants were investigated to find out the biomethanation potentials. The amount of additional energy retrieved from applying biomethanation to Finnish biogas plants was studied to find out the significance of biomethanation in Finland. In addition to the biomethanation potential, issues related to utilizing biomethanation in Finnish biogas plants were investigated by considering in-situ and ex-situ methods as biomethanation technologies. Finland’s biomethanation potential was investigated in terms of the years 2020 and 2030, and case study’s potential in terms of one year operation.
Methods included performing calculations based on initial data obtained from existing literature, along with information from companies involved. Parts of the research were conducted as literature review.
Continuous in-situ biomethanation potential in the case study corresponded to 46 % increase in the annual biomethane production. However, it is likely that the case study’s operational parameters would be affected by in-situ biomethanation in a way which would lower the actual increase. Non-continuous in-situ biomethanation, which operates when sufficiently low electricity prices are available, could operate at 29 % of the full capacity. Integrating biomethanation to biogas plants was calculated to increase Finland’s national methane production potential by 47 % in 2020, and by 40 % in 2030. Finland’s biomethanation potential in comparison to Finland’s energy sector (traffic energy consumption, heat production, electricity consumption and natural gas consumption) was found to be quite insignificant in 2020, but growing in importance by 2030, with the biogas and biomethane productions increasing.
The main objectives of this work were to find out the biomethanation potential in a typical case study and in the national level in Finland (including Finnish bioethanol plants) and to investigate potential biomethanation’s significance in terms of case study’s and Finland’s biomethane production. The main research questions were following: What is the biomethanation potential of a typical case study of a biogas plant? What is the biomethanation potential of Finland as a nation?
Biomethane and CO2 productions in biogas and bioethanol plants were investigated to find out the biomethanation potentials. The amount of additional energy retrieved from applying biomethanation to Finnish biogas plants was studied to find out the significance of biomethanation in Finland. In addition to the biomethanation potential, issues related to utilizing biomethanation in Finnish biogas plants were investigated by considering in-situ and ex-situ methods as biomethanation technologies. Finland’s biomethanation potential was investigated in terms of the years 2020 and 2030, and case study’s potential in terms of one year operation.
Methods included performing calculations based on initial data obtained from existing literature, along with information from companies involved. Parts of the research were conducted as literature review.
Continuous in-situ biomethanation potential in the case study corresponded to 46 % increase in the annual biomethane production. However, it is likely that the case study’s operational parameters would be affected by in-situ biomethanation in a way which would lower the actual increase. Non-continuous in-situ biomethanation, which operates when sufficiently low electricity prices are available, could operate at 29 % of the full capacity. Integrating biomethanation to biogas plants was calculated to increase Finland’s national methane production potential by 47 % in 2020, and by 40 % in 2030. Finland’s biomethanation potential in comparison to Finland’s energy sector (traffic energy consumption, heat production, electricity consumption and natural gas consumption) was found to be quite insignificant in 2020, but growing in importance by 2030, with the biogas and biomethane productions increasing.