Climate balance of biogas upgrading systems
- Institute of Waste Management, Department of Water, Atmosphere and Environment, University of Natural Resources and Applied Life Sciences, Vienna, Muthgasse 107, A-1190 Wien (Austria)
One of the numerous applications of renewable energy is represented by the use of upgraded biogas where needed by feeding into the gas grid. The aim of the present study was to identify an upgrading scenario featuring minimum overall GHG emissions. The study was based on a life-cycle approach taking into account also GHG emissions resulting from plant cultivation to the process of energy conversion. For anaerobic digestion two substrates have been taken into account: (1) agricultural resources and (2) municipal organic waste. The study provides results for four different upgrading technologies including the BABIU (Bottom Ash for Biogas Upgrading) method. As the transport of bottom ash is a critical factor implicated in the BABIU-method, different transport distances and means of conveyance (lorry, train) have been considered. Furthermore, aspects including biogas compression and energy conversion in a combined heat and power plant were assessed. GHG emissions from a conventional energy supply system (natural gas) have been estimated as reference scenario. The main findings obtained underlined how the overall reduction of GHG emissions may be rather limited, for example for an agricultural context in which PSA-scenarios emit only 10% less greenhouse gases than the reference scenario. The BABIU-method constitutes an efficient upgrading method capable of attaining a high reduction of GHG emission by sequestration of CO{sub 2}.
- OSTI ID:
- 21357633
- Journal Information:
- Waste Management, Vol. 30, Issue 1; Other Information: DOI: 10.1016/j.wasman.2009.08.011; PII: S0956-053X(09)00345-6; Copyright (c) 2009 Elsevier Science B.V., Amsterdam, The Netherlands, All rights reserved.; ISSN 0956-053X
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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Related Subjects
29 ENERGY PLANNING
POLICY AND ECONOMY
ANAEROBIC DIGESTION
ASHES
CARBON DIOXIDE
CLIMATIC CHANGE
CULTIVATION TECHNIQUES
DUAL-PURPOSE POWER PLANTS
ENERGY CONVERSION
ENERGY SUPPLIES
GREENHOUSE GASES
LIFE CYCLE
METHANE
MUNICIPAL WASTES
NATURAL GAS
ORGANIC WASTES
RENEWABLE ENERGY SOURCES
ALKANES
BIOCONVERSION
CARBON COMPOUNDS
CARBON OXIDES
CHALCOGENIDES
COMBUSTION PRODUCTS
CONVERSION
DIGESTION
ENERGY SOURCES
FLUIDS
FOSSIL FUELS
FUEL GAS
FUELS
GAS FUELS
GASES
HYDROCARBONS
ORGANIC COMPOUNDS
OXIDES
OXYGEN COMPOUNDS
POWER PLANTS
RESIDUES
WASTES