The energy source of the future
The member states of the European Union have searched for different methods for the avoidance of redundant production of food. Also only so many foods should be produced, as are used.
On 26th November 1997 the European Council adopted a new version of the so-called White Book (the material on the energetic goals of the EU) with the title: “Energy of the future: Renewing energy sources”. The material includes a strategy and action plan on the ways of increasing the rate of using renewing energy sources from 6% to 12% during the period until 2010, and within the total power production to 22%.
Advantages of using renewing energy sources:
- Decreased environmental contamination (mainly the CO2, CH4 emission decreases),
- The energy import of the country decreases (which is around 50% in the EU member states),
- The number of jobs increases in the industry producing the necessary equipment, at the users and in the regions producing biomass.
After the entry of Hungary, such free floor spaces are present in Hungary, on which further breeding of different, so-called energy plants is possible. So, also non-agricultural enterprises, can produce energy.
The founding factors of the application of the new energy sources are:
- The agricultural policy of the EU (modification of the support system)
- Expectations of the EU’s energy- and environmental policies regarding the increase of renewing energy source utilization
- Decrease of CO2 emission by 6% between 2008-2012 signed in the Kyoto Protocol on Climatic Changes
- The fulfillment of the National Agricultural and Environmental Program
- The need for regional development based on sustainable development
The biogas is the only method of handling sewage and liquid manure which not only uses but also produces energy!
Biogas
Biogas is produced by the anaerobic decay of the biomass, as a result of biological processes. All organic substances are suitable for biogas production (excluding the organic chemical substances).
The most commonly used materials in biogas production:
- Agricultural straw- and liquid manure, waste,
- Communal and food-production liquid and solid by-products, waste, sewage,
- Vegetable energy sources
Requirements for biogas production:
- Organic substances
- Environment closed from air (oxygen)
- Presence of methanogenic bacteria
- Constant, equalised temperature
- Constant mixing
- Adequately chopped organic substances
During biogas production the organic compounds break down to simple compounds (acidic breakdown), and then disintegrate to their components (methanogenic breakdown). The biogas contains approximately 60-70 % methane and 30-40% CO2. The heating value of 1m³ biogas is 22-23 MJ, which is equivalent to the heating value of 0.66m3 natural gas and 0.61 l oil, or 6.1kWh electric energy. The quantity of methane produced from the organic material, depends on the composition and content of the original organic material, on the technical quality of the biogas Fermenter and on the technology used (temperature, chopping, etc.).
The organic basic material can be diminished in the practice only to approx 50%. The rest of the components remain in liquid or solid compost phases. The degradation efficiency of the organic substances depends on the varied quality (bacterial) and joint decay characteristics of the organic materials. The efficiency of the biological degradation can be increased by 40% depending on the composition of the mixed original organic waste. The production capacity of the biogas plants, agricultural character, is usually determined according to the larger animals. The energy produced from the daily manure quantity of one animal (an animal weighing 500 kilograms) is equivalent to 0.8 kg fuel oil. The biogas production of communal organic waste is given projected to one inhabitant or dry material content. Sometimes it is expressed on the basis of the Fermenter volume. Generally 1m³ Fermenter-volume produces 1m³ biogas daily.
The utilization of biogas corresponds with the possibilities of piped natural gas or PB gas use, the primary areas of use are: heating of homes, cooking, production of hot water, and in case of agricultural activities: the power of refrigerators and stable work equipment, production and usage of electric energy.