From Waste to Energy
Organic (assets) waste accounts for one third of all waste
produced. If all this waste was to be converted in KOMPOGAS
plants, approx 10% of the fuel requirements for private cars
could be met worldwide. Currently the automobile industry is
moving towards producing ecologically beneficial gas cars.
The gas will either be used directly for combustion, or even
better, be used in fuel cells to produce electricity. The reasons
are quite clear and are no longer disputed: gas powered vehicles
produce less ozone and acid and thus counteract the greenhouse
effect, which is intensified by regular petrol powered vehicles. Kompogas
can also be used to directly produce electric energy via fuel
cell technology to feed back into the grid, from which the
council can get carbon credits and green power accredation.
Use of Kompogas produces an ecological advantage, as it contributed
a neutral effect on the CO² produced balance. The CO² produced
during biogas utilisation has previously been absorbed from
the atmosphere by plants and fruits during the process of photosynthesis.
Eagle Farm proposes that a selected trial base of residents
and businesses be issued with special organic bins for organic
waste. This waste can be delivered to Eagle Farm and
turned into energy for electricity generation and into organic
soil for agricultural purposes.
According to tests performed by the Swiss Federal Materials
Testing Institute EMPA, gas used as a fuel reduces emissions
by as much as 95 percent below allowable limits. In addition,
the ozone creation potential drops by 98 percent.
What is BIOGAS?
All conventional processes for disposing of organic waste
such as landfills, incineration or composting have their drawbacks.
On the other hand, utilising them with the aid of KOMPOGAS
plants offers numerous advantages. For example, the end products
obtained are a CO²-neutral fuel gas, available for production
of electric power and heating and use in internal combustion
engines eg. For motor vehicles.
To produce energy from yard and kitchen waste, the organic
waste is first freed of foreign matter and then fed to the
fermenter. In the entirely enclosed reactor operating according
to the anaerobic principle (with the absence of oxygen), micro-organisms
transform the organic substance present in the material into
compost and biogas. The thermophile fermentation process takes
place at a temperature of 55 to 60°C and lasts for 15 to
20 days. During this time, undesirable germs and weed seeds
are reliably eliminated.
From one metric tonne of organic waste, over 130 cubic
metres of biogas are extracted, corresponding to about 70 litres
of petrol (gasoline).
Biogas, which can be used as a fuel for vehicles or for cogeneration
units in order to generate electric power, is today considered
to be one of the most environmentally friendly, CO²-neutral
sources of energy available to a broad segment of the population.
Private individuals, use the high quality, hygenic compost
in agriculture and in gardening. Fresh compost is a valuable,
natural fertiliser allowing impressive harvest results to be
achieved.
The biogas process
The KOMPOGAS plants currently in operation
receive biogenous waste on a daily basis which is utilised
with an optimal energy yield.
The biogas produced during waste decomposition can be transformed
into electrical and thermal energy, ensuring self-sufficient
operation and supplying a considerable energy surplus. As an
alternative or in combination, the biogas can be upgraded to
natural gas standards for the CO²-neutral operation of
vehicles or it can be fed into the natural gas network. In
addition to this high specific gas yield, this process is mainly
characterised by its reliable operation, which is the result
of the wide experience gained with operational plants up to
now.
The new core module process reduces the capital cost of such
plants. The modules can be constructed either of steel or of
concrete. A large portion of the plant construction work can
be awarded to local companies.
The residual waste is delivered to an enclosed building
and subjected to mechanical processing. This process consists
of a size reduction stage, the removal of ferrous metals plus
the separation of the components that can be used for energy
generation. This includes on the one hand the fraction with
a high thermal value for thermal treatment and on the other
hand the biodegradable fraction for biological treatment.
Features of the process:
- Ensures ecological disposal of biogenous waste
- Generates considerable energy
- Utilises substances and energy contained in the waste
- Meets sanitation requirements
- Allows high-grade end products
- No wearing parts in the fermenter
- No odour emissions as a result of fermentation
- Requires little space
- Complements existing composting plants
- Enables CO²-neutral gas
- Low building loads
- Reliable compliance with emission limits
- High biogas production rate
- High operational reliability
- Complete ecological cycle
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