Preliminary assessment of a biogas-based power plant from organic waste in the North Netherlands

Abstract

Biogas is expected to play a crucial role in achieving the energy targets set by the European Union. Biogas, which mainly comprises methane and carbon dioxide, is produced in an anaerobic reactor, which transforms biomass into biogas. A consortium of anaerobic bacteria and archaea produces biogas during the anaerobic digestion (AD) of various types of feedstocks, such as animal slurries, energy crops, and agricultural residues. A biogas-fed gas turbine-generator and steam generator produce heat and power. In this study, a combined heat and power installation is studied. The biogas-based power plant treating cow manure, grass straw, and sugar beet pulp was examined using the software SuperPro Designer, and the obtained economic reports are evaluated. From the results, subsidy for electricity does not change the feasibility of the plants in case that cow manure or sugar beet pulp are used as feedstocks. The net present value (NPV) of biogas plants treating cow manure and sugar beet pulp was negative and the subsidy is not sufficient to make profitable these cases. The biogas power plant treating straw showed a positive net present value even without subsidy, which means that it is more desirable to invest in a plant that produces electricity and digestate from grass straw.