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The biogas market in Brazil has gone through a period of great evolution in the last decade. We list three main points for this new scenario: 1. the formation of a more specialized workforce; 2. the more representative monetization of bio digestion products – such as energy and bio fertilizers – and 3. the regulation of several key points of the productive chain.
Still, many doubts hover over potential biogas producers and investors. To help more and more people to develop their businesses, ABiogás created the Producer’s Guide – an easy-to-understand material that assists the planning and development of your project.
Each of the eight steps described will help you understand the technical and economic viability of your project, as well as what steps should be followed for its development and implementation. Also, you will be able to find out which companies can assist in each process to achieve a successful result.
To know how much biogas you can potentially produce, it is initially necessary to know your residue. This means knowing its composition – quality – and its production regime and volume – quantity. Furthermore, it is desirable to know its effective potential for producing biogas and methane. These initial data will make it possible to create the technical project, define the best technology to be applied, and carry out a preliminary economic feasibility study, taking into account different ways to monetize your product.
Knowing the regime, or variation, of waste production over time is important for the proper sizing of the reactor and waste reception, preparation and storage units. Appropriate apparatus must be used to monitor the production of waste or effluent, in order to obtain the production volume in one of the following units: m3/h, m3/day, g/h, ton/day.
The sampling or collecting process must ensure that the waste sent for analysis is homogeneous and representative. For that, a sampling plan is defined that foresees several collection points during a determined time, guaranteeing a composite sample. This sample must also be properly preserved and transported to the place of analysis. When possible, the laboratory contracted to carry out the physical-chemical tests is responsible for the collection. Otherwise, always ask for specific advice on how to best sample, preserve, store and transport.
Knowing the physicochemical characteristics of your substrate will help not only to know its biogas potential, but also to correct possible situations that are harmful for proper digestion, reducing the biogas generated at the end of the process. There are several ways to adjust these parameters, such as introducing chemical agents or mixing with other residues available in your region. The need to adjust each parameter must be analyzed according to the business model applied to each project.
pH
pH directly affects the capacity of the bacteria involved in the process of converting organic matter into biogas.
Alkalinity
Alkalinity is nothing more than a measure of the substrate’s ability to avoid sudden changes in pH, known as buffering.
Solids content
Solids content is the fastest and cheapest analysis to measure the potential biogas content of a waste.
The higher the content of dry organic matter, or volatile solids, the greater the amount of organic matter and, therefore, the greater the potential for biogas production. The specific production of biogas from a residue is usually given by the volume of biogas (m3) per unit of dry matter (gMS, kgMS, tMS).
BOD and COD
COD (Chemical Oxygen Demand) and BOD (Biochemical Oxygen Demand) are parameters widely used in Brazil, as they are important factors for effluent disposal. The simple COD/BOD5 correlation indicates the biodegradability index of the waste.
Elementary Analysis
Through the analysis of the elemental composition it is possible to obtain the molecular formula of the residue and, through these data, it becomes possible to obtain the theoretical value closest to the actual biogas yield of the sample. Do you want to know more about important criteria and processes for bio digestion? Access chapters 1 and 2 of the book “Fundamentos Da Digestão Anaeróbia, Purificação Do Biogás, Uso E Tratamento Do Digestato”: [↗].
Among our associates, the International Renewable Energy Center – CIBiogás performs the necessary laboratory analyzes to know its residue.
There are several technologies that can be applied in the production of biogas. Choosing the right one initially depends on knowing your material, and then choosing the type of reactor. Reactors are classified in several ways, here we will use the terms high-rate reactor and conventional reactor.
A high rate reactor is defined as being an equipment with high efficiency for converting organic matter into methane. These reactors are usually more expensive and complex, and must be used with more complex substrates or very bulky effluents, in order to guarantee the economic viability of the project.
On the other hand, a conventional reactor is less efficient in converting organic matter into methane, resulting in larger reactors due to the longer residence time required. These reactors require less investment and are more resistant to changes, being able to easily adapt to changes in the feeding regime.
Among our members, we have several companies that can help you with solutions and monitoring of biogas generation:
After being cleaned, it is used for the production of electricity and/or heat and when purified, in turn, it can be used as biomethane, fully interchangeable with natural gas.
PROJECTS AND TURN-KEY PLANTS:
EQUIPMENTS, TREATMENTS AND GAS ANALYSIS:
ENGINES, GENERATORS AND USE OF BIOGAS:
The purification of biogas at the level of biomethane will allow the producer to use his product as vehicle fuel, bringing a great advantage, especially when used as a replacement for diesel. Or else, it can be injected into the natural gas distribution pipeline of the region. Therefore, it is necessary to apply a purification system. There are several technologies available on the market and each project must be analyzed individually for the application of the most suitable technology.
The quality of biomethane from agroforestry and sanitation waste is regulated by the ANP through Resolutions No. 8/2015 and No. 685/2017.
Desulfurization
The level of H2S removal depends on the final biogas application. In the case of use to generate electrical energy, only a coarse removal is necessary, in order to preserve the components of the cogeneration system for longer. For application as biomethane, in turn, it is important to carry out a fine desulphurization, that is, to obtain a maximum content of 5mg/m3 of hydrogen sulphide.
Technologies: Biological desulphurization through water washing, biochemical purification and biopurification, precipitation by ferrous salts and absorption in activated carbon.
Drying
An important process for any biogas application, water must be removed in order to avoid equipment corrosion.
Technologies: condensation, adsorption with silica gel and activated carbon and absorption (or washing).
CO2 Removal
Essential step if biogas is used as biomethane.
Technologies: PSA, water washing (or water scrubbing), chemical washing, physical washing, membrane processing, cryogenics.
Want to know more about biogas treatment and purification technologies? Go to: [↗] [↗].
Among our associates, we have several companies that can help you with biogas refining solutions:
We have several associates who can help you define the best business model according to your needs:
The economic feasibility study of a biogas project must be carried out not only considering the project’s installation, operation costs and revenue from the sale of the final product, but also keeping in mind all the costs avoided with treatment, transportation and disposal end of the residue to be treated, the
application of bio fertilizer and often the sources of income from other waste.
ABiogás has associates and specialists to assist in your business model. Contact us!
For a detailed analysis of the project, the following points should be considered:
Need help financing your project? There are various lines of credit available:
To successfully implement a project, there are a few points that must be taken under consideration:
Many incidents at biogas plants are caused by improper behavior by employees, service providers and visitors during operation, maintenance and transit through the facility. These risks can be prevented with proper periodic training of employees according to their responsibilities and functions, correct use of individual and collective protection equipment and monitoring and evaluation of these trainings.
Monitoring the sector and changes in regulations is important to keep the enterprise always efficient. Standards such as Aneel’s Normative Resolution 482/2012, which deals with distributed mini and microgeneration, are under review and the result of the changes may positively or negatively impact the plants. Pay attention to public hearings and consultations on government websites, distributors and regulatory agencies, participate in associations such as ABiogás and exchange experiences with other producers.
Not all federative units will have a specific framework for biogas plants in their legislation. In these cases, the targeting channel must always be the unit of the state environmental agency in your city or capital, where you can open a prior consultation for the analysis of the project.
Among our associates, Terra Saneamento Ambiental can help you with environmental regularization processes.
There are legal norms that regulate the various applications of biogas, such as budget line regulations, definitions of biomethane quality for injection into the grid, policies to encourage renewable energies, among others.[↗]
Some states have public policies or provide tax benefits that aim at the development of the biogas industry. Check your state's tax regulations.
Biogas is a flammable gas with toxic properties that must be considered in order to guarantee the safe operation of plants. Thus, it is necessary to have a Fire Fighting Project, zone potentially explosive areas and obtain licenses from the fire department. The nomenclature and guidelines for obtaining these licenses vary by state, so it is imperative to check with your local Fire Department.
If deciding the biogas applications the enterprise contemplates energy generation, access requests are necessary depending on the size and classification of the generating plant. Plants with less than 5MW can qualify as micro and mini distributed generation and follow another rule, provided for by Normative Resolution 482/2012 of Aneel [↗].
For larger plants, there are guides on grid connection to transmission lines and connection to the energy distributor available at:
There is the possibility of signing contracts registered with the ANP that are negotiated between the parties and include biomethane that meets the agency standards [↗].
In this case, authorization for the exercise of the activity of biofuel production by the ANP is still required and the biomethane producer may only sell its energy source with:
I. State piped natural gas concessionaire;
II. Bulk Compressed Natural Gas Distributor (CNG) authorized by the ANP;
III. Distributor of Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) in bulk authorized by the ANP;
IV. ANP registered natural gas trader;
or V. Final consumer of natural gas, pursuant to current legislation.
The Operating Permit is proof that your business is fit and authorized to carry out its activity. Issued by the city hall before the start of operation of the enterprise, it is necessary to present documents such as environmental licenses, certificates from the Fire Department, CNPJ among others. Contact your city hall to find out more.
The Work Insurance or Engineering Risk Insurance was developed to guarantee coverage for the construction, and may even cover damage caused to third parties. The insurance is justified by the risks inherent to the construction, including fire, execution error, sabotage, robbery or qualified theft, damage caused by windstorms, hail damage, among others.
Commissioning a plant is nothing more than testing and ensuring that the equipment that makes up your project is operating satisfactorily. Commissioning must also ensure that the plant’s operation follows the Technical Safety Standards.
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To ensure a safe operation in the long term, it is suggested:
• Training of the workforce involved
• Creation of a contract monitoring system
• Creating calendars for:
– Preventive maintenance of equipment
– Licenses
• Specialized team monitoring, aiming at:
– Biodigester feed and operation control
– Control of production indicators
• Ongoing relationship with public bodies, count on ABiogás!
The product to be marketed has already been defined in the previous topics of biogas application and economic feasibility. But what are the real options once the business model has been structured and the plant goes live? In terms of the use of thermal energy, the application usually takes place in the form of self-consumption, so here is the focus with two possible products:
Learn more about the procedures for electricity in: [
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Did you know that the first biogas plant to win an energy auction for the Regulated contracting environment was in 2016?
The energy was sold at R$251,00/MWh [], an average price also practiced in the free energy market by landfills, for example.
Among our members, we have companies that can help you with the commercialization of electricity:
Among our associates, Urca Comercializadora de Gás and ZEG can help you with energy and gas commercialization projects.
Since 2013, ABiogás has been the channel for interlocution between the biogas sector and civil society, the Federal and State Governments, municipalities and the bodies responsible for Brazilian energy planning.
