Ecosan Training Courses for TSC officials
Developing Capacity for Ecological Sanitation in India
Reuse of Energy (Biogas)
Dipl. Ing. Martin Wafler, seecon international, Austria
Ecocycle
food production
at farms
organic waste from
households and
industries
co-digestion of waste
and manure
re-use of nutrients
re-use of energy
source: www.kristianstad.se/
Possible Benefits of Biogas Plants to the End-users
Under the right conditions a biogas plant yields several benefits to end-users:
Improved sanitation: reduction of pathogens, worm eggs and flies;
Environmental advantages: fertilizer substitution, less greenhouse gas emission;
Reduction of workload: less firewood collection, better cooking performance;
Production of energy: lighting, heat, electricity, etc.;
Improved indoor air quality: less smoke and harmful particle emission of biogas
stoove compared to wood or dung fuels;
Economical benefits: substitution of spendings on expensive fuels and fertilizers;
Why Shall We Collect and Re-use Biogas?
Environmental Advantages
Local environmental advantages through protection of forests, soil, water and air.
Global environmental benefits through reduced green house gas emissions.
Global Warming Potential (GWP)
Carbon Dioxide (CO2) has a GWP of exactly 1 (since it is the baseline unit to
which all other greenhouse gases are compared)
Why Shall We Collect and Re-use Biogas?
Social Advantages
Reduction of workload, mainly for women, in firewood collection and cooking
Why Shall We Collect and Re-use Biogas?
Health Advantages
Reduction of respiratory chest diseases, lung cancer, cataract and other eye
infections, lung infections
Indoor Air Pollution
source: http://www.abdn.ac.uk/
Improved Air Quality Using Biogas Stoove
photo: M. Wafler
Why Shall We Collect and Re-use Biogas?
Economic Advantages
Substitute to fire wood, LPG, dung cake in e.g. cooking
1 m3 Biogas (@ ca. 6 kWh/m3) is equivalent to:
0.5 kg Diesel, Kerosene
@ ca. 12 kWh/kg
1.3 kg Wood
@ ca. 4.5 kWh/kg
1.2 kg Cow Dung
@ ca. 5 kWh/kg dry matter
1.3 kg Plant Residue
@ ca. 4.5 kWh/kg dry matter
0.7 kg Hard Coal
@ ca. 8.5 kWh/kg
1.1 m3 City Gas
@ ca. 5.3 kWh/m3
0.24 m3 Propane
@ ca. 25 kWh/m3
Why Shall We Collect and Re-use Biogas?
= 30 m3 BIOGAS = INR. 400
(@ 14.2 kg of LPG per container)
Biogas Appliances
Institutional biogas burner
in a community kitchen
photo: Krmer (TBW)
Biogas Lamp (Thailand)
photo: Chaing Mai
Biogas Appliances
Biogas Generator
Biogas Water Heater (China)
Biogas Rice Cooker (China)
Biogas Appliances and Their Biogas Consumption
(photo: K.P. Pravinjith)
household burner
industrial burner
refrigarator (100 l capacity; depending on
outside temperature)
gas lamp (equivalent to 60 W bulb)
biogas consumption
l/hour
200 - 450
1,000 – 3,000
720 – 1,800
120 - 150
source: [6]
appliance:
(photo: M. Wafler)
Ecosan Training Courses for TSC officials
Developing Capacity for Ecological Sanitation in India
Reuse of Energy (Biogas)
Dipl. Ing. Martin Wafler, seecon international, Austria
Bibliography
(1) Kossmann, W. et al (unknown). Biogas Digest (Volume I) – Biogas Basics
(2) Seghersbetter (2002). Anaerobic Digestion in Wastewater Treatment
http://www.scientecmatrix.com/seghers/tecm/scientecmatrix.nsf/_/FF976EA7B13F69F5C1256B5A005418
EC/$file/AnaerobicDigestionInWasteWaterTreatment.pdf. (last accessed on March 15th, 2007)
(3) Hammer, M., (2002). Ugandan Biogas Plants – State of the Art
(4) SANIMAS (2005). Informed Choice Catalogue (PP-Presentation) http://sanimas.waspola.org/product.html
(5) Werner, U., Stöhr, U., Hees, N. (1989). Biogas plants in animal husbandry
(6) Sasse, L. (1988). Biogas Plants
(7) Morel A., Diener S. (2006). Greywater Management in Low and Middle-Income Countries, Review of
different treatment systems for households or neighbourhoods. Swiss Federal Institute of Aquatic Science
and Technology (Eawag). Dübendorf, Switzerland.