Technology

A project developed by Ainia Centro Tecnológico leverages two of the by-products from the production of biogas (the digestate resulting from anaerobic digestion and the CO2 from combustion) to grow microalgae. In turn, the microalgae serve as a feedstock for the biogas plant. Researchers at this technology centre in Paterna (Valencia) highlight that this technique improves the efficiency, profitability and sustainability of such facilities.

It is planned that five plants will be built in Lugo, and one each in Pontevedra, La Coruna and Asturias, representing Husesolara´s move into the biogas sector in which it intends to have twenty plants within five years. So far, the most advanced is the Lousadela facility (Guntín, Lugo), for which the permitting process has already commenced. It is envisaged that construction of this plant will begin in January 2012.

This figure was released by the Technical Association for Waste Management, Urban Cleaning and the Environment, Ategrus, which in September released the “preliminary” programme for its Controlled Landfill Conference, an event which this year celebrates its thirteenth edition and will being in Lleida on 19 October.

Peppers increase methane production by 44% compared to slurry digestion alone; tomatoes, by 41%; peaches, by 28%; and caquis (or persimmons) makes no difference. These are the main conclusions of a research team from the Polytechnic University of Valencia, who reveal that they expect results to be obtained at full scale and to apply the technology in biogas plants within a year.

In the various studies examining the availability of resources for biogas production carried out as part of the ProBioGen project, Valencia does not appear in the top positions, including with regard to the use of energy crops. The regional government wants to reverse this situation and consider the economic viability of these crops to boost the competitiveness and efficiency of biogas plants.