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Keywords = agro-biomethane

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20 pages, 5341 KiB  
Article
Characterization of Processes Aimed at Maximizing the Reuse of Brewery’s Spent Grain: Novel Biocomposite Materials, High-Added-Value Molecule Extraction, Codigestion and Composting
by Jessica Di Mario, Agnese Bertoldi, Dario Priolo, Eleonora Calzoni, Alberto Maria Gambelli, Franco Dominici, Marco Rallini, Daniele Del Buono, Debora Puglia, Carla Emiliani and Giovanni Gigliotti
Recycling 2025, 10(4), 124; https://doi.org/10.3390/recycling10040124 - 21 Jun 2025
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 692
Abstract
Brewery’s spent grain (BSG) consists of the largest by-product by volume in the beer production sector and offers potential for both bio-composite material production, high-added-value molecular extraction and bioenergy recovery. Aiming at exploring the ideal biorefinery approach for this agro-industrial residual, the present [...] Read more.
Brewery’s spent grain (BSG) consists of the largest by-product by volume in the beer production sector and offers potential for both bio-composite material production, high-added-value molecular extraction and bioenergy recovery. Aiming at exploring the ideal biorefinery approach for this agro-industrial residual, the present study experimentally investigated several methodologies to enhance the reuse of BSG and proposed a scheme of biorefinery focused on it. According to it, BSGs were firstly tested to produce high-added-value byproducts, such as protein hydrolysates and for the extraction of lignin via ionic liquids-based methods. The residuals were then used for biogas/biomethane production via anaerobic codigestion. The different matrices were rearranged in varying mixtures, aiming at ensuring high availability of nutrients for methanogens, thus achieving higher energy production than what achievable with untreated BSG. For the scope, further agro-industrial wastes were considered. The resulted digestate was finally composted. Untreated BSGs were also directly tested as fillers for bio-composite material production (in a mixture with PHB). Different concentrations were tested and the mechanical properties of each sample were compared with those of pure PHB. Disintegration tests were finally carried out to measure the improved biodegradability of the produced bio-composite material. Full article
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20 pages, 5240 KiB  
Article
Sustainable Reduction of Strontium Sulfate Using Bioethanol: A Pathway to Carbon-Neutral SrS Production
by Javier E. Morales-Mendoza, Jorge L. Domínguez-Arvizu, Alma B. Jasso-Salcedo, Blanca C. Hernández-Majalca, José L. Bueno-Escobedo, Alejandro López-Ortiz and Virginia H. Collins-Martínez
Reactions 2025, 6(2), 28; https://doi.org/10.3390/reactions6020028 - 21 Apr 2025
Viewed by 867
Abstract
Achieving net-zero carbon emissions, this study introduces a sustainable pathway for reducing strontium sulfate (SrSO4) and celestite ore to strontium sulfide (SrS) using biofuels (biomethane, bioethanol) derived from agro-industrial waste and green hydrogen. Traditional SrSO4 reduction methods, which rely on [...] Read more.
Achieving net-zero carbon emissions, this study introduces a sustainable pathway for reducing strontium sulfate (SrSO4) and celestite ore to strontium sulfide (SrS) using biofuels (biomethane, bioethanol) derived from agro-industrial waste and green hydrogen. Traditional SrSO4 reduction methods, which rely on fossil-derived reductants like coal and operate at energy-intensive temperatures (1100–1200 °C), generate significant greenhouse gases and toxic byproducts, highlighting the need for eco-friendly alternatives. Experimental results demonstrate that bioethanol outperformed other reductants, achieving 97% conversion of synthetic SrSO4 at 950 °C within 24 min and 74% conversion of natural celestite ore over 6 h. Remarkably, this bioethanol-driven process matches the energy efficiency of the conventional black ash method while enabling carbon neutrality through renewable feedstock utilization, reducing CO2 emissions by 30–50%. By valorizing agro-industrial waste streams, this strategy advances circular economy principles and aligns with Mexico’s national agenda for sustainable industrial practices, including its commitment to decarbonizing heavy industries. This study contributes to sustainable development goals and offers a scalable solution for decarbonizing strontium compound production in the chemical industry. Full article
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18 pages, 2796 KiB  
Article
Biomethane Production from Untreated and Treated Brewery’s Spent Grain: Feasibility of Anaerobic Digestion After Pretreatments According to Biogas Yield and Energy Efficiency
by Jessica Di Mario, Alberto Maria Gambelli and Giovanni Gigliotti
Agronomy 2024, 14(12), 2980; https://doi.org/10.3390/agronomy14122980 - 14 Dec 2024
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1287
Abstract
The increasing global energy demand, coupled with the urgent need to reduce CO2 emissions, has intensified the search for renewable energy sources. Biogas, produced from agro-industrial biomass, presents a viable solution. In beer production, brewery’s spent grain (BSG), the largest by-product by [...] Read more.
The increasing global energy demand, coupled with the urgent need to reduce CO2 emissions, has intensified the search for renewable energy sources. Biogas, produced from agro-industrial biomass, presents a viable solution. In beer production, brewery’s spent grain (BSG), the largest by-product by volume, offers potential for bioenergy recovery. This study applied a biorefinery approach to BSG, extracting protein hydrolysates (PH) through mild alkaline hydrolysis and nanostructured lignin (LN) via the Ionic Liquid Method. The objective was to assess biogas production from the residual biorefinery biomass and evaluate the co-digestion of BSG with Olive Mill Wastewater (OMWW) and Olive Pomace (OP), by-products of the olive oil industry. Biogas was produced in lab-scale batch reactors and the quantity of biogas produced was measured via the volumetric method. Conversely, the amount of biomethane obtained was evaluated by introducing, in the production chain, an alkaline trap. Biogas yields were the highest for untreated BSG (1075.6 mL), co-digested BSG with OMWW (1130.1 mL), and BSG residue after PH extraction (814.9 mL). The concentration of biomethane obtained in the various samples ranged from 54.5 vol % (OMWW + BSG) to 76.59 vol % (BSG). An energy balance analysis considering both the theoretical energy consumed by a semi-continuous anaerobic digestion bioreactor and the energy produced as bio-CH4 revealed that BSG after PH extraction was the most energy-efficient treatment, producing a net energy gain of 5.36 kJ. For the scope, the energy consumption was calculated by considering a PEIO index equal to 33% of the energy produced during the day, showing the highest biogas production. In contrast, the co-digested BSG with OMWW yielded the lowest net energy gain of 1.96 kJ. This comprehensive analysis highlights the energy efficiency of different treatments, identifying which process should be improved. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Biogas and Biomethane Production from Pretreated Waste Biomasses)
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12 pages, 1376 KiB  
Article
ADM1-Based Modeling of Biohydrogen Production through Anaerobic Co-Digestion of Agro-Industrial Wastes in a Continuous-Flow Stirred-Tank Reactor System
by Christina N. Economou, Georgios Manthos, Dimitris Zagklis and Michael Kornaros
Fermentation 2024, 10(3), 138; https://doi.org/10.3390/fermentation10030138 - 29 Feb 2024
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 2590
Abstract
Biological treatment is a promising alternative for waste management considering the environmentally sustainable concept that the European Union demands. In this direction, anaerobic digestion comprises a viable waste treatment process, producing high energy-carrier gases such as biomethane and biohydrogen under certain operating conditions. [...] Read more.
Biological treatment is a promising alternative for waste management considering the environmentally sustainable concept that the European Union demands. In this direction, anaerobic digestion comprises a viable waste treatment process, producing high energy-carrier gases such as biomethane and biohydrogen under certain operating conditions. The mathematical modeling of this bioprocess can be used as a valuable tool for process scale-up with cost-effective implications. The scope of this work was the evaluation of the well-established Anaerobic Digestion Model 1 (ADM1) for use in two-stage anaerobic digestion of agro-industrial waste. Certain equations for the description of the metabolic pathways for lactate and bioethanol accumulation were implemented in the existing mechanistic model in order to enhance the model’s accuracy. The model presents a high estimation ability regarding the final product (H2 and biogas) reaching the same maximum value for the theoretical as the experimental data of these products (0.0012 and 0.0036 m3/d, respectively). The adapted ADM1 emerges as a useful instrument for designing anaerobic co-digestion processes with the goal of achieving high yields in fermentative hydrogen production, considering mixed biomass growth mechanisms. Full article
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17 pages, 4239 KiB  
Article
A Location Model for the Agro-Biomethane Plants in Supporting the REPowerEU Energy Policy Program
by Marilena Labianca, Nicola Faccilongo, Umberto Monarca and Mariarosaria Lombardi
Sustainability 2024, 16(1), 215; https://doi.org/10.3390/su16010215 - 26 Dec 2023
Cited by 4 | Viewed by 1772
Abstract
Biomethane represents one of the solutions towards the European Union (EU) energy transition, being capable to decarbonize the EU’s energy system and to reduce the dependence on imported natural gas, as underlined by the “REPowerEU” energy policy program. As its production is expected [...] Read more.
Biomethane represents one of the solutions towards the European Union (EU) energy transition, being capable to decarbonize the EU’s energy system and to reduce the dependence on imported natural gas, as underlined by the “REPowerEU” energy policy program. As its production is expected to expand primarily from biogenic wastes and residues, such as agricultural residues and animal effluents, it is necessary to make its deployment cost-efficient, taking into account factors such as local resources, existing infrastructure, and raw material and investment costs. From this perspective, this paper proposes a replicable predictive model for locating agro-biomethane plants according to raw material potential, relative economic factors, and territorial characteristics. To this end, an analysis was conducted in the Geographic Information System environment, based on location theory. The analysis included testing the minimum transport cost of feedstock in a case study of a rural area in Southern Italy. Three optimal locations for 2 MW size plants were selected where some key element conditions had been identified. The research findings may provide useful information for the EU policymakers in defining more specific energy planning strategies, in accordance with the REPowerEU objectives, addressing the increase in biomethane production by 2030. Full article
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14 pages, 3686 KiB  
Article
Process Optimization and Biomethane Recovery from Anaerobic Digestion of Agro-Industry Wastes
by Harjinder Kaur and Raghava R. Kommalapati
Energies 2023, 16(18), 6484; https://doi.org/10.3390/en16186484 - 8 Sep 2023
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1706
Abstract
Among the sustainable initiatives for renewable energy technologies, anaerobic digestion (AD) is a potential contender to replace fossil fuels. The anaerobic co-digestions of goat manure (GM) with sorghum (SG), cotton gin trash (CGT), and food waste (FW) having different mixing ratios, volumes, temperatures, [...] Read more.
Among the sustainable initiatives for renewable energy technologies, anaerobic digestion (AD) is a potential contender to replace fossil fuels. The anaerobic co-digestions of goat manure (GM) with sorghum (SG), cotton gin trash (CGT), and food waste (FW) having different mixing ratios, volumes, temperatures, and additives were optimized in single and two-stage bioreactors. The biochemical methane potential assays (having different mixing ratios of double and triple substrates) were run in 250 mL serum bottles in triplicates. The best-yielding ratio was up-scaled to fabricated 2 L bioreactors. The biodegradability, biomethane recovery, and process efficacy are discussed. The co-digestion of GM with SG in a 70:30 ratio yielded the highest biomethane of 239.3 ± 15.6 mL/gvs, and it was further up-scaled to a two-stage temperature-phased process supplemented with an anaerobic medium and fly ash (FA) in fabricated 2 L bioreactors. This system yielded the highest biomethane of 266.0 mL/gvs, having an anaerobic biodegradability of 67.3% in 70:30 GM:SG co-digestion supplemented with an anaerobic medium. The BMP of the FA-amended treatment may be lower because of its high Ca concentration of 205.74 ± 3.6. The liquid fraction of the effluents can be applied as N and P fertigation. The Ca concentration was found to be 24.3, 25.1, and 6.3 g/kg in GM and GM:SG (TS) and SG solid fractions, respectively, whereas K was found to be 26.6, 10.8, and 7.4 g/kg. The carbon to nitrogen ratio of solid fraction varied between 2.0 and 24.8 for return to the soils to enhance its quality. This study involving feedstock acquisition, characterization, and their anaerobic digestion optimization provides comprehensive information and may assist small farmers operating on-farm anaerobic digesters. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Energy and Environmental Sustainability 2023)
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18 pages, 3049 KiB  
Article
A Novel Batched Four-Stage–Two-Phase Anaerobic Digestion System to Facilitate Methane Production from Rice Straw and Cow Manure with Low Inoculum/Substrate Ratios
by Zhao Yin, Siqi Zhou, Xingyun Zhang, Xuemei Li, Zeming Wang, Juan Wang, Weixing Cao and Chen Sun
Fermentation 2023, 9(6), 565; https://doi.org/10.3390/fermentation9060565 - 15 Jun 2023
Viewed by 2105
Abstract
In order to improve the performance of methane production from agro-waste, a batched four-stage–two-phase anaerobic digestion (4S2P-AD) system was designed to combine the advantages of both anaerobic co-digestion (co-AD) and two-phase AD. The initial separation of two phases was performed using rice straw [...] Read more.
In order to improve the performance of methane production from agro-waste, a batched four-stage–two-phase anaerobic digestion (4S2P-AD) system was designed to combine the advantages of both anaerobic co-digestion (co-AD) and two-phase AD. The initial separation of two phases was performed using rice straw (RS) as a feedstock in acidogenic phase and cow manure (CM) in methanogenic phase at low inoculum/substrate (I/S) ratios of 0.5 and 0.2 and a high organic loading of 60 g volatile solid (VS)/L. The periodic round-trip reflux of leachate during the 4S2P-AD process facilitated re-inoculation throughout the four stages. The results showed that this round-trip reflux also dispersed toxic ammonia, balanced the carbon/nitrogen ratio, unified the microbial community structure, and led to the selection of Methanosarcina (relative abundance > 80%) as the dominant methanogens. With the abilities to overcome volatile fatty acid accumulation, shorten lag times, improve biodegradability, and foster synergistic effects, it was verified that the 4S2P-AD process can maintain efficient and stable methanogenesis from high-solid lignocellulosic feedstock. The averaged methane production throughout the four stages of 4S2P-AD was 234 mL/g VS. This result is 96% higher than the averaged methane production obtained from the four one-step AD groups using mono-feedstock, and 91% higher than that obtained using co-feedstock. This study provides a scientific reference for the development of new processes of bio-methane production from agro-waste with a high fermentation capacity and stability in the future. Full article
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18 pages, 2173 KiB  
Article
Twin-Screw Extrusion Mechanical Pretreatment for Enhancing Biomethane Production from Agro-Industrial, Agricultural and Catch Crop Biomasses
by Arthur Chevalier, Philippe Evon, Florian Monlau, Virginie Vandenbossche and Cecilia Sambusiti
Waste 2023, 1(2), 497-514; https://doi.org/10.3390/waste1020030 - 22 May 2023
Cited by 8 | Viewed by 3190
Abstract
This study aimed to evaluate the effects of mechanical treatment through twin-screw extrusion for the enhancement of biomethane production. Four lignocellulosic biomasses (i.e., sweetcorn by-products, whole triticale, corn stover and wheat straw) were evaluated, and two different shear stress screw profiles were tested. [...] Read more.
This study aimed to evaluate the effects of mechanical treatment through twin-screw extrusion for the enhancement of biomethane production. Four lignocellulosic biomasses (i.e., sweetcorn by-products, whole triticale, corn stover and wheat straw) were evaluated, and two different shear stress screw profiles were tested. Chemical composition, particle size reduction, tapped density and cellulose crystallinity were assessed to show the effect of extrusion pretreatment on substrate physico-chemical properties and their biochemical methane production (BMP) capacities. Both mechanical pretreatments allowed an increase in the proportion of particles with a diameter size less than 1 mm (from 3.7% to 72.7%). The most restrictive profile also allowed a significant solubilization of water soluble coumpounds, from 5.5% to 13%. This high-shear extrusion also revealed a reduction in cellulose crystallinity for corn stover (i.e., 8.6% reduction). Sweetcorn by-products revealed the highest BMP values (338–345 NmL/gVS), followed by corn stover (264–286 NmL/gVS), wheat straw (247–270 NmL/gVS) and whole triticale (233–247 NmL/gVS). However, no statistical improvement in maximal BMP production was provided by twin-screw extrusion. Nevertheless, BMP kinetic analysis proved that both extrusion pretreatments were able to increase the specific rate constant (from 13% to 56% for soft extrusion and from 66% to 107% for the high-shear one). Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Agri-Food Wastes and Biomass Valorization)
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17 pages, 1737 KiB  
Article
Spent Mushroom Substrate Hydrolysis and Utilization as Potential Alternative Feedstock for Anaerobic Co-Digestion
by Gabriel Vasilakis, Evangelos-Markos Rigos, Nikos Giannakis, Panagiota Diamantopoulou and Seraphim Papanikolaou
Microorganisms 2023, 11(2), 532; https://doi.org/10.3390/microorganisms11020532 - 20 Feb 2023
Cited by 14 | Viewed by 4027
Abstract
Valorization of lignocellulosic biomass, such as Spent Mushroom Substrate (SMS), as an alternative substrate for biogas production could meet the increasing demand for energy. In view of this, the present study aimed at the biotechnological valorization of SMS for biogas production. In the [...] Read more.
Valorization of lignocellulosic biomass, such as Spent Mushroom Substrate (SMS), as an alternative substrate for biogas production could meet the increasing demand for energy. In view of this, the present study aimed at the biotechnological valorization of SMS for biogas production. In the first part of the study, two SMS chemical pretreatment processes were investigated and subsequently combined with thermal treatment of the mentioned waste streams. The acidic chemical hydrolysate derived from the hydrothermal treatment, which yielded in the highest concentration of free sugars (≈36 g/100 g dry SMS, hydrolysis yield ≈75% w/w of holocellulose), was used as a potential feedstock for biomethane production in a laboratory bench-scale improvised digester, and 52 L biogas/kg of volatile solids (VS) containing 65% methane were produced in a 15-day trial of anaerobic digestion. As regards the alkaline hydrolysate, it was like a pulp due to the lignocellulosic matrix disruption, without releasing additional sugars, and the biogas production was delayed for several days. The biogas yield value was 37 L/kg VS, and the methane content was 62%. Based on these results, it can be concluded that SMS can be valorized as an alternative medium employed for anaerobic digestion when pretreated with both chemical and hydrothermal hydrolysis. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Microbial Metabolites)
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24 pages, 2753 KiB  
Article
Towards a Biorefinery Processing Waste from Plantain Agro-Industry: Process Design and Techno-Economic Assessment of Single-Cell Protein, Natural Fibers, and Biomethane Production through Process Simulation
by James A. Gómez, Luis G. Matallana and Óscar J. Sánchez
Fermentation 2022, 8(11), 582; https://doi.org/10.3390/fermentation8110582 - 27 Oct 2022
Cited by 7 | Viewed by 3705
Abstract
The plantain agro-industry generates different residues in the harvest and post-harvest stages. Therefore, the design of processes for valorization is required. The aim of this work was to design and techno-economically evaluate the processes for the production of single-cell protein, natural fibers, and [...] Read more.
The plantain agro-industry generates different residues in the harvest and post-harvest stages. Therefore, the design of processes for valorization is required. The aim of this work was to design and techno-economically evaluate the processes for the production of single-cell protein, natural fibers, and biomethane from plantain residues by process simulation in the framework of the design of a future biorefinery for valorization of these residues. The processes were simulated using SuperPro Designer. The scale size was calculated at 1,267,071 tons for the processing of plantain lignocellulosic waste (pseudostems) and 3179 tons for the processing of starchy waste (rejected unripe plantain fruits). The results obtained suggest that the best alternative for the valorization of plantain residues corresponded to the production of natural fibers, with a net present value of $29,299,000. This work shows that waste from the plantain agro-industry exhibits high potential as a feedstock for the production of value-added products. In addition, the process flowsheets simulated in this work can be integrated into the basic design of a biorefinery processing plantain waste. Full article
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15 pages, 1501 KiB  
Review
Cheese Whey as a Potential Feedstock for Producing Renewable Biofuels: A Review
by Carlos S. Osorio-González, Natali Gómez-Falcon, Satinder K. Brar and Antonio Avalos Ramírez
Energies 2022, 15(18), 6828; https://doi.org/10.3390/en15186828 - 18 Sep 2022
Cited by 29 | Viewed by 5139
Abstract
Agro-industrial residues such as bagasse, pomace, municipal residues, vinasse and cheese whey are an environmental problem around the world, mainly due to the huge volumes that are generated because of the food production to satisfy the nutritional needs of the growing world population. [...] Read more.
Agro-industrial residues such as bagasse, pomace, municipal residues, vinasse and cheese whey are an environmental problem around the world, mainly due to the huge volumes that are generated because of the food production to satisfy the nutritional needs of the growing world population. Among the above residues, cheese whey has gained special attention because of its high production with a worldwide production of 160 million tons per year. Most of it is discarded in water bodies and land causing damage to the environment due to the high biological oxygen demand caused by its organic matter load. The environmental regulations in developing countries have motivated the development of new processes to treat transform cheese whey into added-value products such as food supplements, cattle feed and food additives. In addition, during the last decade, several processes and technologies have been developed to produce bioenergy through the biotechnological process using cheese whey as a potential feedstock. This review discusses the production of bioethanol, biohydrogen, biomethane and microbial lipid-biodiesel production using cheese whey as a potential substrate. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue New Trends in Biofuels and Bioenergy for Sustainable Development)
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8 pages, 1484 KiB  
Article
Environmental and Economic Aspects of Biomethane Production from Organic Waste in Russia
by Svetlana Zueva, Andrey A. Kovalev, Yury V. Litti, Nicolò M. Ippolito, Valentina Innocenzi and Ida De Michelis
Energies 2021, 14(17), 5244; https://doi.org/10.3390/en14175244 - 24 Aug 2021
Cited by 7 | Viewed by 2882
Abstract
According to the International Energy Agency (IEA), only a tiny fraction of the full potential of energy from biomass is currently exploited in the world. Biogas is a good source of energy and heat, and a clean fuel. Converting it to biomethane creates [...] Read more.
According to the International Energy Agency (IEA), only a tiny fraction of the full potential of energy from biomass is currently exploited in the world. Biogas is a good source of energy and heat, and a clean fuel. Converting it to biomethane creates a product that combines all the benefits of natural gas with zero greenhouse gas emissions. This is important given that the methane contained in biogas is a more potent greenhouse gas than carbon dioxide (CO2). The total amount of CO2 emission avoided due to the installation of biogas plants is around 3380 ton/year, as 1 m3 of biogas corresponds to 0.70 kg of CO2 saved. In Russia, despite the huge potential, the development of bioenergy is rather on the periphery, due to the abundance of cheap hydrocarbons and the lack of government support. Based on the data from an agro-industrial plant located in Central Russia, the authors of the article demonstrate that biogas technologies could be successfully used in Russia, provided that the Russian Government adopted Western-type measures of financial incentives. Full article
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14 pages, 2648 KiB  
Article
Estimation of Energy Recovery Potential from Primary Residues of Four Municipal Wastewater Treatment Plants
by Eleni P. Tsiakiri, Aikaterini Mpougali, Ioannis Lemonidis, Christos A. Tzenos, Sotirios D. Kalamaras, Thomas A. Kotsopoulos and Petros Samaras
Sustainability 2021, 13(13), 7198; https://doi.org/10.3390/su13137198 - 27 Jun 2021
Cited by 17 | Viewed by 3361
Abstract
Wastewater treatment plants have been traditionally developed for the aerobic degradation of effluent organic matter, and are associated with high energy consumption. The adoption of sustainable development targets favors the utilization of every available energy source, and the current work aims at the [...] Read more.
Wastewater treatment plants have been traditionally developed for the aerobic degradation of effluent organic matter, and are associated with high energy consumption. The adoption of sustainable development targets favors the utilization of every available energy source, and the current work aims at the identification of biomethane potential from non-conventional sources derived from municipal wastewater treatment processes. Byproducts derived from the primary treatment process stage were collected from four sewage treatment plants in Greece with great variation in design capacity and servicing areas with wide human activities, affecting the quality of the influents and the corresponding primary wastes. The samples were characterized for the determination of their solids and fats content, as well as the concentration of leached organic matter and nutrients, and were subjected to anaerobic digestion treatment for the measurement of their biomethane production potential according to standardized procedures. All samples exhibited potential for biogas utilization, with screenings collected from a treatment plant receiving wastewater from an area with combined rural and agro-industrial activities presenting the highest potential. Nevertheless, these samples had a methanogens doubling time of around 1.3 days, while screenings from a high-capacity unit proved to have a methanogens doubling time of less than 1 day. On the other hand, floatings from grit chambers presented the smallest potential for energy utilization. Nevertheless, these wastes can be utilized for energy production, potentially in secondary sludge co-digestion units, converting a treatment plant from an energy demanding to a zero energy or even a power production process. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Municipal Wastewater Management)
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14 pages, 1021 KiB  
Article
Bottled Biogas—An Opportunity for Clean Cooking in Ghana and Uganda
by Mairi J. Black, Amitava Roy, Edson Twinomunuji, Francis Kemausuor, Richard Oduro, Matthew Leach, Jhuma Sadhukhan and Richard Murphy
Energies 2021, 14(13), 3856; https://doi.org/10.3390/en14133856 - 26 Jun 2021
Cited by 13 | Viewed by 7044
Abstract
Anaerobic digestion (AD) can bring benefits in terms of effective management of organic waste, recovery of nutrients and energy recovery, and is consistent with circular economy principles. AD has been promoted and implemented worldwide, but at widely differing scales, influenced by the availability [...] Read more.
Anaerobic digestion (AD) can bring benefits in terms of effective management of organic waste, recovery of nutrients and energy recovery, and is consistent with circular economy principles. AD has been promoted and implemented worldwide, but at widely differing scales, influenced by the availability and location of feedstocks. In developing countries, feedstock arises from small- to medium-scale agriculture and agro-processing operations, as well as from household and municipal waste. Biogas produced from residues from agro-processing facilities may be used for on-site heat and power, but the lack of a gas and electricity grid infrastructure can limit opportunities to distribute gas or generated electricity to wider users. This paper presents the findings of the first study to consider novel technologies for small-scale and low-cost biogas clean-up into biomethane, and compression into small bottles, suitable as a clean cooking fuel. The paper reports on the initial evaluation of biomethane for cooking in Ghana and Uganda. Full article
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24 pages, 2701 KiB  
Article
Model-Based Assessment of Giant Reed (Arundo donax L.) Energy Yield in the Form of Diverse Biofuels in Marginal Areas of Italy
by Giovanni Alessandro Cappelli, Fabrizio Ginaldi, Davide Fanchini, Sebastiano Andrea Corinzia, Salvatore Luciano Cosentino and Enrico Ceotto
Land 2021, 10(6), 548; https://doi.org/10.3390/land10060548 - 21 May 2021
Cited by 10 | Viewed by 3812
Abstract
Giant reed is a promising perennial grass providing ligno-cellulosic biomass suitable to be cultivated in marginal lands (MLs) and converted into several forms of renewable energy. This study investigates how much energy, in the form of biomethane, bioethanol, and combustible solid, can be [...] Read more.
Giant reed is a promising perennial grass providing ligno-cellulosic biomass suitable to be cultivated in marginal lands (MLs) and converted into several forms of renewable energy. This study investigates how much energy, in the form of biomethane, bioethanol, and combustible solid, can be obtained by the cultivation of this species in marginal land of two Italian regions, via the spatially explicit application of the Arungro crop model. Arungro was calibrated in both rainfed/well-irrigated systems, under non-limiting conditions for nutrient availability. The model was then linked to a georeferenced database, with data on (i) current/future climate, (ii) agro-management, (iii) soil physics/hydrology, (iv) land marginality, and (v) crop suitability to environment. Simulations were run at 500 × 500 m spatial resolution in MLs of Catania (CT, Southern Italy) and Bologna (BO, Northern Italy) provinces, characterized by contrasting pedo-climates. At field scale, Arungro explained 85% of the year-to-year variability of measured carbon accumulation in aerial biomass. At the provincial level, simulated energy yields progressively increased from bioethanol, to biomethane, and finally to combustible solid, with average values of 92-115-264 GJ ha−1 in BO and 105-133-304 GJ ha−1 in CT. Mean energy yields estimated for 2030 remained unchanged compared to the baseline, although showing large heterogeneity across the study area (changes between −6/+15% in BO and −16/+15% in CT). This study provides site-specific indications on giant reed current productions, energy yields, and natural water consumption, as well as on their future trends and stability, ready-to-use for multiple stakeholders of the agricultural sector involved in bioenergy planning. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Bioenergy and Land)
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