Denmark To Build World’s Largest Biogas Plant
21 February 2006
Denmark is building the world’s largest biogas plant that will also serve as a research and testing platform. Biogas refers to the mix of CO2 and methane (CH4) produced by bacterial conversion of organic matter under anaerobic (oxygen-free) conditions.
The facility will be built in Foulum, Jutland, and will have an annual capacity of 850,000 cubic meters of methane. Among those participating in the project are the Danish Institute of Agricultural Science (DIAS), the Technical University of Denmark, the Engineering College of Arhus and Agro Business Park.
The biogas facility is an important part of a plan to place Denmark at the world map as a leading country when it comes to biogas and environmental technology. With a facility of this calibre we can run tests with different techniques and biomass. The facility is to house research and development projects. It will create potential for development for both companies in the region and on a nationwide basis.
—Søren Mikkelsen, executive vice president of DIAS
The output from the plant, which totals four biogas reactors, is sufficient to cover power consumption for 800 single-family houses and to heat 200 houses. Biogas can also be used as a vehicle fuel.
Denmark already has 20 centralized biogas plants and more than 35 farmscale plants, but has lacked a full-scale testing station. The testing platform will allow researchers to explore different approaches for optimization of the process, such as by combining different kinds of preparation with the use of energy crops like corn, beets and different types of grass.
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Why bother? All they have to do is print a few cartoons and suddenly the whole country is full of steam! :-)
Posted by: EM | 21 February 2006 at 09:31 AM
Impressive! While we have to endure hot air about the coming "Hydrogen Economy" (and GM's "turnaround" plan), the Danes get going on something practical.
Posted by: An Engineer | 21 February 2006 at 03:55 PM
I am a pig farmer near Kimberley in the Northern Cape, South Africa. I've been looking at information concerning methane gas since 1972, shortly after I started my piggery. At this stage we have 8000 pigs, and will increase to roughly 12000. As you can make out, we are (my son and I) still searching for information. There are not a lot of building plans or layouts for digesters avialable. All of which are or cylindrical or spherical. I have something else in mind but nobody with knowledge to discuss it with. Perhaps it will be possible for someone to contact me. I do not intend to spend money for information.
Posted by: Charles Malherbe | 06 August 2007 at 03:13 AM
I am biogas researcher in Nepal. i like to know what is the size of digester and in which model it is going to construct? can i get email address of project head.
thank u so much.
Posted by: Jeeban Shrestha | 25 August 2007 at 10:43 PM
hi,
I am a student who is studying engine blocks.I am new in this kind of techology and it would be a great help if someone could e-mail me about the things to all about the biogas techonolgy.many sites give some info but what i really want is the engine that will be using the biogas technology,how it is being converted to.thanks hoping for your reply soon
Posted by: mhiles | 30 September 2007 at 06:47 PM
I am a horse and cattle farmer, At this point I only have 24 head of livestock total. I want to create a sytem on an obvious small scale to provide heat for our indoor riding arena but I am finding it hard to understand what tool is needed to turn the horse manure which is mixed with small wood chips into the slurry for the digester. I am trying to accomplish this on a small monetary budget. Any suggestions?
Thank you.
Posted by: thane ejnkins | 02 December 2007 at 10:11 PM