Large Scale Biogas Production Thiele2011

Large Scale Biogas Production in Liquid Biofuel Industries

WASTE TO ENERGY

Flare, Siam, Krabi Province, Thailand

Jonas HjertquistProject Manager

Nathan ClarkePrincipal Consultant – Waste to Energy  &  

Discipline Convenor – Wastewater Treatment – CPG NZ & Aus

Dr Chris HearnSenior Biotechnical and 

Process Engineer

Simon RuddenklauSenior

Process Engineer & Project Manager

Dr  Jurgen ThieleResearch Design Manager

CPG ‐ A team with 35+ years of experience

Containerised Pilot Plant

Offices /Representative             Project Sites           Prospects

Anaerobic Digestion

• Break down of organic compounds to biogas• Naturally produced in absence of oxygen

Methane (CH4) and Carbon Dioxide (CO2)• Methane – High energy potential• Methane considered to be 21 times more

potent than CO2 as greenhouse gas• Capture and destruction of Methane in

optimised processes such as Cigar.

Burning water ?

Methane emission: 50,000 - 100,000 t CO2 equivalent/year

Technology Comparison

The New Frontier

• Keep it simple

• Deliver excellent financial performance

• Attract Venture Capital funded investment

• Reduce commercial risk

• Payback period within 20 % of project life

• Know your waste and “Control your waste”

Digester Value EngineeringCovered In Ground Anaerobic Reactor

• Substantially improved contact with the waste• High reserve activity (active bacteria ) and capacity • High sludge concentration• High toxicity tolerance• Better growth

In‐ground Reactor Benefits

Lower construction cost

Lower loading rate ‐> robustness

Large sludge inventory ‐> robustnessLong solids residence timeHigh gas yield ‐ increased electricity salesImproved waste treatmentLow maintenance and operation costEasy operation, robust and simpleCER Income

Commercial SuccessCIGAR Technology Uptake

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2002 2004 2006 2008 2010 2012 2014

Year of project completion

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Number of newplants/yearTotal number ofoperating CIGARtotal daily waste volumetreated by CIGAR

Benefits for Biorefineries

• Process energy reduction by 80-90 % (molasses ethanol)

• Process energy reduction by 50-60 % (dry mill grain ethanol)

• > 98 % reduction of methane emissions from biorefinery waste treatment (palm oil mills, molasses ethanol)

• Production of green electricity grid (palm oil mills)

• Overall increased biofuel output (10-20 %, palm oil mills)

• Reduction of carbon footprint for biorefineries

Khorat, Thailand – 2003, Cassava Starch Processing Waste;  90,000m3 Biogas per day. Total Energy production ~ 10MW;          USD 5 Million               ROI: 18 Months

Cigar® Manure – Indonesia          100% Success Rate

Cigar® ‐ Kitroonruang, Thailand. ROI 24 MonthsDestroying Methane in Genset and Flare, 

CH4 ‐ 21x more damaging than CO2

CER Revenue

• Estimate: 100 CER per 1,000 t FFB• Value: USD 5 – 20 per CER • Additional Revenue Stream – BUT

– Complex Process– Slow to provide revenue (2 – 3 years)– Requires additional equipment– Costs associated

• Good advice recommended!

Clean Development Mechanism (CDM)

9 Projects certified by UNFCCC

3 Projects under validation

*3 Gold Standard Listed Projects

CDM Project Waste Source Registration Date Annual CER’s

Univanich Lamthap* POME February 2009 43,656

Univanich Siam POME Validation 20,895

TBEC Tha Chang* POME & Rubber Validation 54,497

Korat Waste to Energy Starch June 2007 310,843

Jiratpattanna Starch March 2009 24,726

Siam Quality Starch Starch April 2009 98,372

Chao Khun Agro Starch March 2009 48,167

Kitroonruang Starch Final Check 19,578

TTY Cambodia* Starch September 2008 50,036

Excel Manure (piggery) March 2009 12,526

Amigo Manure (piggery) March 2009 5,761

Lampung Bekri Manure (cattle) December 2006 18,823

During construction

Electricity Generation from Biogas

Blowers Generators

Scrubber(Vertical)

Scrubber(Horizontal)

System Components

Influent HXMixTank

Covered In Ground Anaerobic 

Reactor

Liquid Effluent to 

Existing PondsSludge Effluent for Irrigation

or Composting

SulphideScrubbing

DehumidificationElectricity Generation

Process andAutomationControl

Commissioningand

Operation Support

From waste reception through to the gas distribution system, the complete anaerobic digestion package.

Cigar Design Service

PROCESS OVERVIEW

Biofuel/biorefinery related case studies

Cigar Case Study 1

• Palm oil mill• 30 ton FFB/h• ~ 400 m3/day POME • ~ 66 kg/m3 COD• 22,000 m3 CIGAR reactor system• System Cost: USD 1.6 million

Cigar Case Study 1

• Only ~ 80% biogas use, rest is flared• More than 90% COD removal from POME• CIGAR effluent ~ 3,500 ppm COD• Additional treatments required to achieve

discharge requirements• Final discharge ~ 200 ppm COD

Cigar Case Study 1

• > 11,000 m3 biogas per day• 952 kW generator installed• Electricity Generated: > 7.1 million kWh/yr• Value in Malaysia: > USD 500,000/annum

• Payback Period: ~3 years

Cigar Case Study 2

• 165,000 Liter/day Fuel Ethanol Plantfrom Sugar Cane Molasses

• ~ 700 m3/day wastewater,180 kg/m3 COD• 42,000 m3 in-ground reactor system• CIGAR system Cost: USD 2.3 million

Cigar Case Study 2

• Up to 43,000 m3 biogas per day• Used as boiler fuel and flared• H2S content 5,000-10,000 ppm• Replaces heavy fuel oil (19 t/day) for

refinery boiler and steam turbine• At 200 US$/t HFO, 330 d/yr: (2005 prices)

• Payback Period: ~2 years

• Agro-industry solid waste digester • ~ 1000 t/day feedstock, ~ 350 kg COD /t• Pilot plant tests successfully completed• Up to 100,000 m3 methane per day• Used as gas turbine fuel• H2S content in raw biogas: > 1500 ppm• Project status: feasibility evaluation • Payback Period Estimate: tba

CIGAR – the way forward

Natural Energy

Experience counts

Location Waste Country

Jiratpattana Starch Thailand

Kitroonruang Starch Thailand

Chao Khun Agro Starch/Fructose Thailand

Tha Chang Palm Oil (POME)/Rubber Thailand

Cigar Systems for Thai Biogas Energy Company (TBEC)

Location Waste Country

Siam Palm Oil (POME) Thailand

Lamthap Palm Oil (POME) Thailand

Cigar Biogas Systems for Univanich

3 additional facilities underway

Experience counts

Client Waste Country

Khorat Waste to Energy Starch Thailand

TAE Lanna Vinasse (molasses ethanol) Thailand

SQS Starch Thailand

Khorat Starch Starch Thailand

Excel Manure (piggery) Philippines

Amigo Manure (piggery) Philippines

Lampung Bekri Manure (beef feedlot) Indonesia

TJ Farms Manure (piggery) Philippines

FILAM (x3) Manure (piggery) Philippines

KS Bioplus Starch Thailand

Ratchasima Starch Thailand