Feedstock for Producing Bio-Methane
Bio-methane can be produced from Giant King Grass using proven and widely used anaerobic digestion and by second-generation gasification technology. Bio-methane is the "green" energy equivalent of methane, the principal component of natural gas which is widely used for heating, cooking, electricity generation and as a vehicle fuel. Biogas is produced when organic matter decomposes without oxygen (anaerobic digestion). Composed mainly of methane (55%) and carbon dioxide, biogas can also be upgraded to pure methane and inserted into the existing natural gas pipelines for efficient transmission. The byproduct of anaerobic digestion is organic fertilizer that can be put back on the Giant King Grass fields.
Giant King Grass is cut every 25 to 30 days at 3 feet
tall for biogas.
Power generation and heating are the most common applications for biogas worldwide. Burning biogas in water and steam boilers is an established method of generating heat to serve the needs of industrial installations, or to feed into district heating systems. The green biogas is also used to generate electricity in combustion engines or turbines that turn generators or fuel cells. The most efficient way to utilize biogas is by using combined heat and power, employing a gas engine to generate electricity and capture the heat generated in the process to be used in heating, steam or drying systems.
1.5 MW biogas engine generator set by Topec
of The Netherlands.
RuBa Energie biogas plant in Germany generating
1 MW of electricity and 1 MW of heat.