Biogas guide - Kommunförbundet Skåne · 2015-08-20 · Project leader An accountable individual...

Biogas guide

- For decision makers and investors in Skåne

LIFE09 ENV/SE/000348 BIOGASSYS – Deliverable 1.4 – Investor’s and decision making guide for Skåne 2 (33)

Table of contents

Introduction .................................................................................................... 4

Purpose ....................................................................................................... 5

Which tools are available through BIOGASSYS? ........................................ 5

Initiation of a biogas study ............................................................................. 7

Local study of the biogas potential ............................................................... 10

1 Start-up of a deeper investigation ........................................................... 11

2 GIS-related analyses ............................................................................... 11

2.1 Deeper inventory of substrates ......................................................... 12

2.2 Gas distribution ................................................................................ 14

2.3 Possible offsets for the gas ................................................................ 16

2.4 Biogas production............................................................................. 17

3 Other aspects ........................................................................................... 17

3.1 Technical aspects .............................................................................. 17

3.2 Environmental impact ..................................................................... 20

3.3 Spreading acreages .......................................................................... 23

3.4 Economic aspects ............................................................................ 25

3.5 Forms of ownership and owner relations ........................................ 27

3.6 Future biogas potential ................................................................... 28

3.7 Permit application ........................................................................... 29

4 Compilation ............................................................................................ 30

5 Building of network and actor collaboration ......................................... 30

6 Suggestion biogas action plan ................................................................ 30

References ..................................................................................................... 32

BIOGASSYS Desirée Grahn, Biogas Syd 2012-09-30


BIOGASSYS and Biogas Syd

www.biogassys.se

The project BIOGASSYS started in 2010 and is an EU-project within LIFE+. The purpose of the project is to demonstrate the biogas chain from raw material to consumption. It will run for five years and includes cooperation with E ON, Skånska Biobränslebolaget, Lund University, WSP as well as the municipalities of Malmö and Trelleborg.

www.biogassyd.se

Biogas Syd is a regional collaborative project for and by stakeholders within the biogas field in southern Sweden. The aim of the project is to increase the production and consumption of biogas.

http://www.biogassys.se/

http://www.biogassyd.se/


Introduction With a diminishing access to oil and consequences of emissions of greenhouse gases becoming more visible in our society, a switch to a renewable energy system is needed. There are many green alternatives with a more prominent local nature. One of these local, renewable alternatives is biogas with the potential to become an important part of energy supply in Skåne. Regionally, a shift to biogas would reduce dependence on imported fossil energy sources and increase employment. The transition would also reduce the environmental impact and is linked to the national environmental goals concerning eutrophication, oceans, coastal areas and climate impact. However, the process of investigating the possibilities for biogas is complicated. This guide is designed to be a tool when navigating through the biogas system. What is important to consider? Which questions have to be processed? Is there a need for additional knowledge?

In 2010, 0.3 TWh of biogas were produced in Skåne, but the possibilities to increase that amount are great. The potential in this region has been estimated to about 3 TWh. On a national level, Skåne has been designated pilot region for climate mitigation and renewable energy transition, where biogas is considered an important part of the solution.

The current energy system is mainly based on fossil energy where biogas can be an alternative and be used as a fuel and in heat and electricity production. For municipalities, an increased amount of biogas means that energy is produced close to the citizens, which is positive for many reasons. Even though a large part of energy in Sweden already is renewable, our society is sensitive to fluctuations on the global energy markets. By increasing the share of local production, the energy security is improved and the consumer becomes less responsive to changes in the outside world with large impacts on the fossil fuel market.

Increased local production of biogas can also generate possibilities for employment. If Skåne is to reach the production target of 3 TWh by 2020, the region will need big investments. As the production capacity increases, there will be a growing need for entrepreneurs within the sector. Region Skåne has estimated the increase in employment to 3000 jobs in 2020 which will give and increased regional growth of 6.6 billion SEK1 (~€730.000.000).

The production and use of biogas leads to a number of direct and indirect environmental effects. Emissions of particles and greenhouse gases are reduced when fossil fuels are replaced by biogas. Climate impact is also mitigated when manure and other organic waste is fermented instead of being handled with current, conventional measures. The spontaneous leakage of methane from manure is reduced significantly if it is processed in a biogas

1 Region Skåne, 2012

Biogas Biogas is formed when organic material is degraded in the absence of oxygen. The gas consists of methane and carbon dioxide and small amounts of other gases such as sulfide, nitrogen gas, ammonia and water vapour. Methane has a high energy content, which means large amounts of energy is released as the gas is combusted. In the combustion of methane, carbon dioxide, water and heat is produced. If the biogas is not utilized but released into the atmosphere, it becomes a forceful greenhouse gas - it is approximately 20 times more potent than carbon dioxide.


plant. Additionally, an excellent fertilizer comes from the process which reduces the need for traditional products.

Purpose The possibilities for production of biogas, its profitability and environmental impact is strongly dependent on the local conditions. For this reason, many variables have to be investigated before a conclusive image of the situation is obtained. Studies of the potential include a large number of assumptions and the result can thereby vary a lot. This guide is meant to give guidance in the biogas labyrinth and point out issues important to investigate when the local conditions are mapped out and an action plan for biogas is formed. This is not an encyclopedia but it is supposed to be a guidance of which aspects that must be considered. The approach presented is largely based on the tools which have been developed within the EU Life+ project BIOGASSYS (www.biogassys.se) and is referred to throughout the entire guide. The target group is mainly municipalities but the guide can also be used by other stakeholders. This guide is supposed to take the reader from “What are the local conditions for biogas?” to “How could we make biogas a reality?” to finally land on “This is our biogas strategy!”.

What tools are available through BIOGASSYS? Within BIOGASSYS a number of tools have been developed, aimed to aid in the investigating process. These are:

Geographical Information System (GIS)–based planning tool. Developed to be an easy-access aid which gives an overview of the local potential for biogas and offset possibilities.

Study of the potential for biogas. A study made by Envirum, in cooperation with the County Administrative Board of Skåne, where the resources of organic material is mapped out and transferred into the GIS-tool.

Excel-file. The data from the study of potential is presented and summarized in a file which can be the starting-point for further local inventories.

User’s guide. Available both for the biogas potential and for offset

possibilities for the gas. This guide was made by Envirum and Biogas

Syd to give guidance on how the data in the excel-file can be used when

What are the local conditions for biogas?

How could we make biogas a reality?

This is our biogas strategy!



carrying out a detailed study of the local potential. Also, the

calculation methods used are described.

All of these tools are published at www.lansstyrelsen.se/skane/biogasverktyg. These materials were presented in a number of workshops during the fall of 2011. The opinions that were voiced during these discussions are summarized in a report available via www.biogassys.se. In the study of potential smaller posts have been sorted out that will be of importance when more detailed local studies are made. This study was made to give an indication of the magnitude of the volumes available for biogas production and to show which areas of application might be interesting to investigate further. When this is studied in greater detail a couple of aspects will become more important than in the initial stage. For this in depth study a user’s guide is available describing how this data, summarized in the excel-file, should be handled. The potential study is to be used as a starting point and illuminate which materials that can be of interest for a deeper study.

http://www.lansstyrelsen.se/skane/biogasverktyg



Initiation of a biogas study Municipalities have an important role in initiating a discussion concerning biogas. Biogas is often mentioned in local energy plans as an important energy source to reach goals of reduced use of fossil fuels. To reach the demands on increasing the share of biogas, the local conditions for production and use have to be investigated.

This guide gives an example of how a municipality can handle biogas and has been developed within the EU-financed Life-project BIOGASSYS. Along with this guide there is a GIS-based planning tool for municipality officials developed to help in the physical planning. More information on available tools within this project can be found on page 5.

There is no given route applicable for all municipalities when biogas is being investigated. Each one has unique conditions and available resources differ. In certain municipalities the competence needed can be found internally within the organization whilst others need to recruit competence externally. In this guide, a specific approach is described made up of a broad inventory of the local conditions for production and use of biogas, resulting in a basic review from which a decision can be made concerning whether a local study of potential should be made. If the decision is positive, a thorough investigation can be made with a starting point in the information found in the GIS-tool. This investigation or local study of potential is assumed to result in an action plan or a strategy for biogas. An example of how this first broad inventory can be made is presented in figure 1.


Figure 1. Action chart for a broad inventory of the local conditions for biogas in a municipality.

A first step in the process is to bring up the issue in a suitable forum were the possibilities for biogas can be discussed widely and the interest for studying

Decision concerning local study of potential

Should a thorough investigation of the potential for production and use of biogas be carried out? A suggestion for how such an investighation can be financed and the

economical alternatives should be presented.

Compilation of data for decision support

Affected administrations, committees and municipal companies are connected to the

project to analyze the issue further. The GIS-tool may be used to visualize the result.

A budget proposal is produced for financing a local potential study as well as

retrival of the alternatives for economic support.

Broad inventory of substrates

Can preferably include an overviewing review of the GIS-tool in order to visualize the potential production of biogas and offset possibilities. The substrates can be mapped out

with the use of the basic data available, or alternatively with another method.

Project leader

An accountable individual is appointed responsibility to continue the investigation. This can be carried out internally in these early stages.

Start-up

Biogas is presented and discussed as an overview and on a strategic level. A decision is made of whether decision support material should be compiled for a possible local study

of potential.


it further can be investigated. A decision can then be made of whether an overview inventory should be made. The inventory will become the foundation from which a decision can be made concerning whether a thorough local study of potential should be made.

Having a person within the municipal organization with an interest in biogas is a big asset since this person may choose to highlight the topic and initiate a discussion on the subject. This person can drive the issue further and make it established within the organization. At this stage, it is advantageous to recruit the responsible official internally. It may, for instance, be a business strategist, an environmental manager or a technical manager. The official adds relevant departments, committees and municipal corporations to the discussion. A smaller steering group is appointed based on these internal resources. Each department is assigned to analyze the possibilities for biogas in the municipality, based on the subjects of expertise of the department. It is suitable to begin the overviewing inventory by mapping out the substrates available in the area. This can be done with aid from the GIS-tool or the study of potential for biogas carried out by Biogas Syd and the County Administrative Board of Skåne (www.lansstyrelsen.se/skane/biogasverktyg). The study briefly states how much biogas is possible to produce from a number of different organic materials, where the data is presented on both congregation and municipality level. It can thus constitute a suitable base material in an initial discussion with decision makers. The GIS-based planning tool is also possible to use to obtain information regarding infrastructure for gas, already established biogas facilities and their production, and the possible offsets for the biogas.

A compilation of the information from these sources combined with, among others, information concerning the positive effects of biogas, may constitute the basis for decision making regarding whether there is an interest to investigate the issue further and perform a more in depth local study of potential. At this stage of the decision making process, it is important to illustrate the environmental benefits biogas entails, but they may be quantified in a subsequent deeper study. Examples of the environmental benefits of biogas are discussed in 3.2 Environmental effect, on page 20.

The purpose of the basis for decision making is to show whether there is reason to continue and carry out a local study of potential of biogas production and use. Within the framework for the basis of decision making, the financing of a study should be discussed so that several alternatives for the economy are available. It is possible to apply for economic support for a deeper investigation of biogas. Use support from organizations connected to biogas development to get guidance regarding the aids presently possible to apply for! Before starting the work on the local study of potential, the division of responsibility must once again be decided so the working group includes personnel with relevant competence. It is beneficial if it has the same structure as before. Figure 2 clarifies how the work on the study may come about, with the GIS-tool as starting point.



Local study of the biogas potential After a decision has been made to carry out a local study of potential, the work is started off by mapping out all necessary aspects of biogas. Below, a proposal is given of how the study may be carried out and of aspects necessary to discuss.

Figure 2. Action chart for a local study of potential.

6 Suggestions for biogas plan

After the establishment of a network, the picture becomes clearer of what possibilities exist to realise production, distribution and use of biogas in and around the municipality. By

developing a suggestion for a biogas plan, as it is called, the municipality can turn the result of the investigation into writing.

5 Establishment of network and collaboration between actors

When the compilation is ready, there is a base to move on to investigate how establishment of biogas production and use could come about in the area. For instance, groups of interested

parties could be assembled to discuss what collaboration possibilities exist.

4 CompilationWhen the above described actions have been carried through, the base material for a

compiled report is ready. The compilation gives an overview of the current situation in and around the municipality. Possibilities and barriers for the establishment of biogas

production and use are highlighted.

3 Other aspects

Technical aspects

Environmental impacts

Spreading acreages

EconomyOwner

relations

Future biogas

potential

Permit application

2 GIS-related analyses

Deeper inventory of substrates

Distribution of gas

Offset possibilities Biogas production

1 Start-up of deeper investigation

Project leader is appointed internally/externally. The person in question

should be well acquainted with the production, distribution and offset

possibilities for the biogas.

Steering group and possibly reference group are appointed. Use if possible the steering group assembled in connection to the pre-

study and supplement it with external resources connected to production,

distribution and offset of biogas.


A more detailed description of each step in the figure above follows below. With the headlines as point of departure, areas which should be studied further and issues necessary to treat are described. Moreover, references to suitable sources that supply more information are given. The process described above is largely based on the information in the GIS-tool and the possible offsets and supplies of substrates shown there. The aspects not quantified in this way, such as environmental impacts, economic and technical aspects associated with biogas production are described briefly in this guide with references to more comprehensive reports. The results of the local study of potential are largely dependent on knowledge of the locality and of municipal industry, agriculture, use of gas etc. The regional studies carried out earlier and referred to in this guide are of a basic character and a number of assumptions have been made in the inventory. A complete account of these are available in the study of biogas potential and in the user’s guide at the webpage of the County Administrative Board (www.lansstyrelsen.se/skane/biogasverktyg). The GIS-tool and a compilation of the data the tool is based on can also be found here.

1 Start-up of deeper investigation The work on the deeper investigation is initiated through the recruitment of a project leader with wide competence in the biogas area. After this, a steering group is put together which represents production, distribution and offset of biogas well. The task of the steering group is to guide the project leader through the investigation and see to that all relevant issues are handled. There may also be a need to supplement the steering group with a reference group. This group may, for example, consist of representatives from the business sector and experts in the biogas area.

2 GIS-related analyses When the project leader and the steering group have been appointed, the analyses of various biogas aspects may begin. The GIS-tool can give access to information regarding several parameters, among others a substrate inventory, possible offsets, existing biogas production etc. However, the level of detail of each post needs to be looked over and supplementary information may possibly be required, for instance by contacting private actors. Here, knowledge of the locality is of great value when interesting farms, industries etc. are to be identified. A survey of factors necessary to take into consideration when this is done follows below.

Planning of the work and dividing of responsibility In order to obtain a functioning work with the development of biogas production, a well thought-out planning of the work and an appropriate division of the responsibility is needed. An investigation of this kind may involve the environmental and technical department but also, for instance, city planners and the building department. It may also be appropriate to lay some parts of the project on external contracts.



2.1 Deeper inventory of substrates

As a first step, a deeper inventory of substrates may be carried out. Here, the GIS-based tool is a good base to start off from. The information found in the GIS-tool is from the study of the biogas potential in Skåne. In this report, a brief description of the method is given but a detailed manual over how a deeper analysis can be made is available at www.lansstyrelsen.se/skane/biogasverktyg. The GIS-tool includes an inventory of substrates on a congregation level, divided into the following categories:

Food residues

Sludge from waste water treatment plants

Manure

Crop residues

Industrial residues

Energy crops

For food residues, the value stated is based on a level of sorting of 100%, which is difficult to realize in practice. During the course of the project, the ambition of the municipality concerning grade of sorting must therefore be established. The current national targets are set to 40% sorting-grade by 2015, but a couple of municipalities reach sorting levels of 50% already.

Sludge is already used to a large extent for biogas production. There is, however, still reason to take a closer look at the municipal sludge handling. Calculations show that approx. 20% of the sludge biogas potential escapes digestion but the share varies considerably depending on the municipality. One reason why part of the potential escapes transformation to biogas through digestion may be that established plants have too small capacities. This implies the substrate does not get sufficient retention time in the process, which in turn decreases the methane production.

A large part of the substrate potential is found in the agricultural sector in the form of manure, straw and other crop residues. The straw and crop residue potential correspond to almost 2/3 of the total biogas potential in Skåne. For this reason it is important to carry out a careful inventory of these substrates found at the farms of the municipality. Straw is, however, not a given substrate for biogas production. The

Substrates suitable for biogas production

Residues from the agricultural sector and manure

•Residues from legumes

•Ley

•Sorted out potatoe

•Tops and leaves from potatoe and sugarbeet

•Sheep and horse manure

•Manure from poultry

•Farmyard manure from pig

•Solid manure from pig

•Liquid manure from sow

•Liquid manure from pigs for fattening

•Farmyard manure from cattle

•Solid manure from cattle

•Liquid manure from cattle

•Straw

Residues from industry and food industry

•Distiller's waste from ethanol production

•Bio-sludge from pulp industry

•Fusel and secondary spirits

•Wet distiller's waste from spirits production

•Fruit juice and pulp

•Sorted out waste and hull from mill

•Yeast from brewery

•Spent grain from brewery

•Fatty sludge from dairy

•Whey and fodder milk

•Sludge and manure from slaughterhouses

•Slaughterhouse residues

Food residues

•Households

•Restaurants

•Large-scale kitchens

•Retail trade

Waste water treatment sludge

Possible future substrates

•Garden and park residues

•Algae

•Substrates from marginal land



material is particularly exposed to competition with heat production, and existing biogas technology is most often not developed for the use of straw. It is therefore not really to be considered a substrate available today but rather a future possibility.

The GIS-tool shows the amount of manure available in each parish, with a division made between solid and liquid manure. The information is based on statistics and templates and may therefore differ from the real values. In a deeper analysis it is advisable to contact animal keeping businesses to inquire about the interest in biogas, how much liquid and solid manure is available and if there are crop residues possible to digest. An important aspect which must be taken into consideration when making an inventory of available manure and projecting with this amount in mind, is the variation in availability depending on the season, with a smaller amount available during the grazing season. For biogas production where the greater part of the substrates consist of manure, it may therefore be interesting to investigate the possibilities to compensate this variation with residues or energy crops. In the latter case, crops grown early or alternatively, which may be stored, are the most interesting options.

The potential for industry waste for enterprises obligated to have permits is presented in the GIS-tool. This means only part of the actual potential for industry residues has been identified. Here, knowledge of the locality is once again of great use when it comes to seizing the potential of industries not included in the overall inventory. The industries included in the study of potential are mapped out in the GIS-tool and should be contacted in order to obtain a more details regarding their enterprise and figures of their waste streams.

Based on figures of acreages of arable land in the municipality, a rough estimate of the amounts energy crops possible to cultivate for biogas production can be made. This calculation can be performed in a fashion similar to that of the study of potential, where it is assumed that energy crops can be cultivated on a certain share of the land (10% in that case). This assumption may thereafter be converted into a possible amount of produced biogas. In order to perform a more detailed estimate, the conditions of the area should be studied first of all.

If crops are to be used for biogas production, the effect of indirect land use change (iLUC) may affect whether the fuel can be classified as renewable. iLUC comes about when energy crops replace food/feed crops and these, as a consequence, are instead cultivated on pristine land somewhere else. This effect is extremely difficult to measure but might still be of great importance for the bioenergy sector as the EU, among others, discusses measures to reduce the risk of iLUC. The changes in directives considered could make fuels produced from certain crops not accountable as biofuels and they would thereby lose the advantages this classification implies.

At this point, the possibilities to use a substrate must be analyzed with regards to who “owns” the raw material. Certain raw material are exposed to competition, others are comprised by a monopoly, are owned by the municipality etc. Table 1 below illustrates this ownership structure.

Table 1. Proprietors of raw material referred to in the study of potential.


Raw material Owner Sludge from waste water treatment Municipality Food residues Municipality/(Waste treatment company) Industry residues Industry Manure Farmer Crop residues Farmer Energy crops Farmer

The Swedish agricultural university in Skåne (SLU Alnarp) and Lund University (LTH) are collaborating in the project Crops 4 Biogas where the resource efficiency, energy efficiency, environmental benefits and the cost efficiency is investigated for different substrates. The study focuses on biogas as vehicle fuel and the crops are studied when they form part of different crop rotations. More information is available at: www.biotek.lu.se/research/renewable_energy/crops_4_biogas/.

2.2 Gas distribution

If the produced biogas has no local offset or alternatively, if there is a surplus of gas, it may be transported and used at another location. For this transportation, several options exist. The biogas can both be upgraded and transported via the gas grid or be stored in bottles and transported by truck as CBG (compressed biogas) or LBG (liquid biogas).

The transmission grid for gas stretches along the Swedish west coast, from Trelleborg in the south to Stenungsund in the north. Some of the nearby communities are connected to the transmission grid. Biogas producers can sell gas to the grid if the biogas is firstly upgraded, stripped of carbon dioxide and complemented by an addition of a small amount of propane, so that the total energy value of the gas corresponds to that of imported natural gas. Even though the gas in the transmission grid almost solely contains natural gas, it is possible from a market point of view to choose to buy only biogas from the grid. Access to a gas grid means there will always be an offset and a supply of gas, which simplifies the process significantly for producers and consumers. The extent of the gas grid in Skåne is included in the GIS-tool. Large parts of Skåne have no access to the gas grid and it is possible that it can be extended to include new municipalities. It may therefore be a good idea to contact nearby municipalities and investigate whether they have similar interests and if an investment can be made in collaboration.

A possible alternative to the gas grid is to store the upgraded gas in bottles on shifting loading platforms. After this, they are placed in depots at the production and offset site. The gas is then stored in compressed or liquid form. If the demand is large in a smaller area, these solutions may, however, soon become of bad profit in which case an investment in a gas pipeline turns out to be the most economic and environmentally sound alternative.

There are many factors to take into account when comparing different distribution alternatives to decide which one is best. What amount is to be transported? How is the gas to be used? Must new infrastructure be established or are new investments needed? How is the biogas production regarded: is it only a temporary production or is there a need for a long-term solution for the transport? Where is the point of intersection between the different distribution alternatives? Below, a brief reasoning follows concerning how the alternatives can be compared with regards to environmental impact, energy use, investment and operational costs.

http://www.biotek.lu.se/research/renewable_energy/crops_4_biogas/


2.2.1 Comparison of distribution alternatives When the costs for different distribution alternatives are compared, the results are largely dependent on the conditions. The costs vary with the distance and depend on the amount of gas transported and which basic costs for pre-treatment, pressurizing etc. are added. For this reason, no detailed economic calculations are presented here. For more information, use the references below, where estimations and calculations have been made for different conditions.

It is difficult to generalize regarding the distribution alternative best suited from an economic perspective, but certain assumptions can be made. Normally, it is more profitable to use LBG when dealing with longer distances, more so if the amount is large. For large volumes transported short to medium distances, a gas grid is the best choice. Compressed gas does, however, soon lose its profitability when the amount of gas is large and/or the distance is great.

2.2.2 Energy use and environmental impact Mostly, there is a correlation between the resulting environmental impact for the different distribution alternatives, and the energy demand. A large energy demand in the form of electricity, heat and fuel for transport, pressurizing, upgrading etc., gives a larger environmental impact in the form of emissions of pollutants and greenhouse gases. The environmental impact is lowest for gas grids and highest for compressed and liquid gas, and it increases with longer transports. Since the amount of gas per truck is larger if the gas is liquid, LBG gives lower emissions when transported.

2.2.3 Safety Another important aspect to take into account when choosing distribution method is which would be the safest alternative. In general, transport by pipeline is considered the safest method, while transport by truck can be associated with a greater risk of accidents.

2.2.4 Transport of substrate An alternative to transporting the gas is to transport the raw material prior to the biogas production. The profitability of this depends on the methane potential of the raw material. A substrate with low methane potential per weight unit will not be profitable to transport longer distances. To be able to estimate and compare the possibilities to move different substrates, a mobility factor, as it is called, can be used. The mobility of the substrates were calculated in the study of potential and this factor illustrates the possibility to move a material based on its methane potential and weight. It is calculated using the following formula:

𝑀𝑜𝑏𝑖𝑙𝑖𝑡𝑦 𝑓𝑎𝑐𝑡𝑜𝑟 =𝑚𝑒𝑡ℎ𝑎𝑛𝑒 𝑝𝑜𝑡𝑒𝑛𝑡𝑖𝑎𝑙[𝐺𝑊ℎ]

𝑎𝑚𝑜𝑢𝑛𝑡 [𝑘𝑡𝑜𝑛]

If the mobility is low it is not likely the substrate will be used for biogas production in a location other than where it originates. With aid from this factor, the amounts of different substrates can be taken into account and the optimal location can be determined to minimize the transport distances. If transport does become of current interest, it is normally done by truck but there may also be local solutions such as the construction of pipelines and continuously pumping material to and from a facility.


2.3 Possible offsets for the gas

There are three main fields of application for biogas: as vehicle fuel, for heat or combined heat and power (CHP) production and as raw material in the chemical industry. The most appropriate field of application depends on the quality and purity of the gas, but also on the available markets and the will to pay in these. It is, for instance, necessary to upgrade the gas to natural gas quality to be able to distribute it on the gas grid while this is not required for CHP-production.

In the GIS-tool, certain possible offsets are illustrated, such as the amount of private cars and filling stations as well as the extension of the gas net. At this point, knowledge of the locality is of great value in order to make a detailed survey of fields of application for the gas. Data regarding bus depots and the amount of registered private cars for each municipality can also be found in the tool. With this data as a starting point, an investigation of the size of the market potential in the area can be initiated where the following questions, for example, may be used to start with:

How much gas is currently used and in what industries?

Where is it possible the demand will increase? What does the local market look like? Make an inventory of the size of the market potential and of where large consumer groups are found.

Are there industries that need gas for process energy?

Are there industries that need gas as a raw material?

Is there any filling station for vehicle gas? If not, what is needed to establish such a facility?

What does the vehicle fleet of the municipality look like? Are there any major procurements in the pipeline? If the demand for vehicle gas is currently limited, it may be increased through municipal declarations of intent before upcoming vehicle procurements.

Is it possible the demand will increase the coming years? What does the demand look like qualitatively, have desires regarding an increased biogas production been expressed? It the local interest limited, measures to stimulate an increased market may be required, for instance through information campaigns, personal meetings, etc.

For more information Lannestam Christer & Grevendahl Karl-Erik, 2010, Hur kan problematiken med bristande infrastruktur för biogas i Skåne åtgärdas? Skånet AB, Karl-Erik Grevendahl Development

Dahlgren Stefan et al, 2011, Biogasdistribution, från lokal till regional hantering, Biogas Öst, Sweco

Christensson Kjell et al, 2011, Biogasdrivna dual fuel-traktorer i lantbruk, entreprenad och kommuner – en förstudie, Biogas Syd

Biogasportalen, 2012, Gas i ledning, Hämtat 2012-02-09 från http://www.biogasportalen.se/FranRavaraTillAnvandning/Distribution/Gasiledning

Benjaminssson Johan & Nilsson Ronny, 2009, Distributionsformer för biogas och naturgas i Sverige, Grontmij

http://www.biogasportalen.se/FranRavaraTillAnvandning/Distribution/Gasiledning


Using biogas for CHP-production is common at smaller facilities, for instance farm-scale plants, or at waste water treatment plants. It is often difficult to find an offset for all heat produced in combustion. For this reason, it may be interesting to investigate whether this surplus heat can be used for heating purposes elsewhere. To identify potential offset possibilities for this surplus heat, the heat supply of densely populated areas can be investigated. If district heating is available, this network can be added to the GIS-based planning tool. If the facility is located in a smaller village it may be possible to establish a local heating system to get offset for the heat.

In the establishment of a filling station, it may be of interest to take a closer look at the traffic flow in order to choose a suitable location. Via the Swedish Transport Administration (Trafikverket), this can easily be investigated by using their maps that show traffic flows. The map can be found by typing “Kartor med trafikflöden” at www.trafikverket.se. A filling station normally delivers between 5 and 15 GWh per year.

2.4 Biogas production

The locations of already established biogas plants are available in the GIS-tool. The local biogas facilities should be contacted in order to obtain more details regarding substrates already used in the area, how the gas is used and what ambitions exist for the future. With this information conclusions regarding the local market can be drawn. Are there possibilities for collaborations with the existing biogas production, is there room for new cooperation and investments? Swedish biogas plants are also mapped out and available via “the Biogas portal”, www.biogasportalen.se.

Note that substrates with a high mobility factor can be transported large distances to production facilities without losing the profitability. This means an adjacent substrate may already be used in another location, if its mobility factor is high.

3 Other aspects

3.1 Technical aspects

3.1.1 Biogas production The choice of biogas production technology depends on various factors, among others, the material used for the biogas production, its dry matter content and methane potential. From this, the plant can be designed and dimensioned correctly. The different types of biogas production are summarized in Figure 3.

Greenhouse A greenhouse is an excellent example of application for biogas. Apart from the great electricity and heat demand in this type of establishment, the carbon dioxide formed in the combustion can be used as fertilizer.

http://www.trafikverket.se/

http://www.biogasportalen.se/


Figure 3. Alternatives for biogas production based on moisture content, number of stages, type of reactor and temperature.

Figure 4. Biogas production system at a farm. Source: SGC [2009].

Figure 4 above gives a general and simplified description of how biogas production at a farm normally takes place. Before the digestion process, the material must be pretreated. Food residues must often be separated from packaging, paper or plastic bags etc., before it can be biologically treated. Other material, such as grass or straw, must be finely chopped before use. The chopping is needed to simplify the digestion and prevent technical problems such as clogging of pipelines and forming of layers. The material classified as waste must also be sanitized, which is normally carried out through heat-up of the material to 70°C for approximately one hour.

Moisture content

Wet digestion

Dry digestion

Number of stages

Two-stage digestion

One-stage digestion

Type of reactor

Continous digestion

Batch digestion

Temperature

Mesophilic digestion

Thermophilic digestion


If many different substrates are used in the process, these are mixed prior to the addition. This way, a uniform mixture is kept in the digester and the microorganisms are not “chocked” by sudden changes in the composition.

After the process it is important to store the digestate in a covered well. The digested material can continue to produce methane which thereby can be collected. In this “post-storage”, possible losses of nitrogen may also be limited which helps the digestate keep its high fertilizer quality.

The key component in all types of biogas production are the microorganisms which transform the organically bound carbon to methane. Therefore, it is important to create the right environment for them to live and thrive. The

anaerobic digestion takes place in one or several gas-tight containers. Normally, a continuously stirred and fed, mesophile process (37°C) is used. The temperature and pH is optimized with regards to the growth rate of the microorganisms. One alternative is a thermophile process at a higher temperature (60-70°C). Here, the process works in the same way but the microorganisms are a different type. Materials possible to pump, with a dry matter content (DM-content) of less than 15%, are usually used. Materials with a higher DM-content may also be used but in this case it is necessary to either mix the substrate with a fluid or

to treat it in a different type of process. An alternative method which can be used is dry digestion which is suitable for this type of material. This process runs in batches where the substrates are usually piled up, which results in a more solid digestate. Figure 5 describes how the dry matter content generally varies for different materials and thus which materials are suited for dry digestion instead of wet digestion. The retention time in the reactor is at least 20 days but varies depending on the rate of degradation of the substrate. This period has to be long enough for the microorganisms to grow and the material to degrade.

Most of the data currently available regarding methane potential and degradation rates is measured under optimized conditions in laboratories, and therefore does not represent the situation on a larger scale. Lower methane yields and degradation rates are thus to be expected. Optimized conditions are to be aimed at, but each process is unique and must be closely studied. Online monitoring is often to be preferred in order to easily control methane content, gas production, pH and the levels of fatty acids. The expected methane yields for many of the most common types of substrates are found in the study of potential, which can be downloaded at the County Administrative Board website: www.lansstyrelsen.se/skane/biogasverktyg.

3.1.2 Purification and upgrading The gas produced in the plant is called raw gas and mainly consists of 60-70% methane (CH4) but also carbon dioxide (CO2) and traces of water, sulfide, nitrogen gas, ammonia and particles. The composition of the gas depends on the substrates used in the production. For example, materials with high

Figure 5. Variation in dry matter content in general for different substrates, with the highest DM in sticks and bushes and the lowest in manure and sludge.

CO

AR

SE

R M

AT

ER

IAL Sticks & bushes

Agricultural residuesGardening residuesSolid manureOrganic industry residuesBio-waste householdsFood residues householdsLarge-scale kitchen residuesSlaughterhouse residuesManureSludge



protein contents, high levels of sulfide and other sulfur compounds give large amounts of sulfur which is very corrosive and poisonous. This may cause problems in the production and when the gas is used in combustion engines. Different areas of application require different levels of purification.

If the gas is to be used as vehicle fuel, all carbon dioxide must be removed. For this process, several alternatives exist. The currently most common technology is the water scrubber where the carbon dioxide is washed out of the gas as it dissolves more easily in water than methane. This process can be optimized under high pressure and low temperature. A similar technology can be used, where the water is replaced by a chemical. With a chemical scrubber, the methane losses are reduced. Another possibility is Pressure Swing Adsorption (PSA), where activated carbon and high pressure is used to capture the carbon dioxide. When the pressure is lowered, the carbon dioxide “come off” and is thereby removed.

In the production of liquid biogas, the cooling and purification take place simultaneously. Through this, the fact that the carbon dioxide is condensed before the methane is utilized, and the gases can be separated. Research on membrane technologies will hopefully lead to the development of new methods for the upgrading.

If the gas is to be injected into the natural gas net, upgrading is necessary but also the addition of propane to make the energy content of the biogas equal to that of the imported natural gas.

3.2 Environmental impact

The biogas contribute several steps in the right direction when it comes to reducing the environmental impact of energy production. Climate impact, eutrophication, acidification, formation of photochemical ozone and emissions of particles are reduced as several fossil energy sources such as petrol, diesel and natural gas are substituted. Moreover, establishments at farms where manure is used as substrate can give a reduction of the nutrient leakage and of methane emissions from the manure handling. The size of this reduction is, however, difficult to generalize since it depends on many factors which may vary from case to case. It is, nevertheless, important to study the resulting environmental impact of a planned facility carefully, in order to motivate the investment in the biogas production and guarantee a proper environmental profile.

For more information Lannestam Christer & Grevendahl Karl-Erik [2010], Hur kan problematiken med bristande infrastruktur för biogas i Skåne åtgärdas? Skånet AB, Karl-Erik Grevendahl Development

Svenskt Gastekniskt Center [2009], Gårdsbiogashandboken – Rapport SGC 206, http://www.sgc.se/display.asp?ID=1260&Typ=Rapport&Menu=Rapporter

Biogas Syd [2010], Från Biogasprocessen – teknik, mikrobiologi och kemi, http://www.biogassyd.se/download/18.64075cf012c96962a7d800017428/biogasprocessen.pdf

Truedsson, Cecilia [2010], Utvärdering av förbehandlingsanläggning för matavfall, http://www.svensktvatten.se/PageFiles/1631/CT_exjobb.pdf

Energy content of biogas The energy content in 1 Nm3 of methane corresponds to 10 kWh and approx. 1 litre of oil.

http://www.sgc.se/display.asp?ID=1260&Typ=Rapport&Menu=Rapporter

http://www.biogassyd.se/download/18.64075cf012c96962a7d800017428/biogasprocessen.pdf


http://www.svensktvatten.se/PageFiles/1631/CT_exjobb.pdf


Table 2 presents the expected greenhouse gas emissions from the lifecycle of biogas when produced from various substrates, as well as the reduction of these emissions. Emission data such as these are always calculated based on specific conditions and may therefore vary significantly. The table shows the results from different calculation methods in order to illustrate the variations depending on how the system boundary is set and what parameters are included.

Table 2. Assessment of the climate benefit of biogas. Changes in soil carbon content are included for the fuels produced in Sweden, corresponding to ¼ of the cultivated area. Emissions of greenhouse gases from fossil fuels are assumed to be 83.8 per MJ. Source: Börjesson Pål et al [2010].

Biomass System expansion1 Energy allocation1 End-use in vehicles g CO2-eq./MJ

g CO2-eq./MJ

Reduction in %

g CO2-eq./MJ

Reduction in %

Light-duty vehicles

Heavy-duty vehicles2

Crops Sugarbeets3 12.5 85 21.8 74 0.9 0.9 Ley crops 11.5 86 26.7 68 0.9 0.9 Maize 21.2 75 32.4 61 0.9 0.9 Wheat 27.3 67 36.6 56 - / 0.9 (3.2) / 0.9 Residues Household res. -2.3 103 10,3 88 0.9 0.9 Industry res. -15.8 119 8,3 90 0.9 0.9 Manure -40.4 148 11.4 86 0.9 0.9

1 System expansion and energy allocation excluding crop residues. 2 Values in brackets refer to ignition additive in ethanol (ED95).

3 Including tops and leaves.

The environmental impact the biogas production in itself may cause can be divided into direct and indirect effect. For instance, emissions from among others energy production needed for the process or produced when the biogas is combusted are regarded as direct impacts. Below, some of the most important points when it comes to environmental impact from the production and use of biogas are mentioned. More information and more detailed descriptions are found in the sources given in the end of the chapter.

3.2.1 Direct environmental impact When the biogas is produced and used, it causes a direct environmental impact, as do all processes connected to the biogas production. For instance, the greatest environmental impact comes from the transport of substrates to and from the plant. Several specially designed solutions exist to solve this in an environmentally intelligent way. NSR in Helsingborg have constructed a pipeline reaching nearby farmers who collect manure and distribute digestate for spreading. This measure saves 22 500 km of transports each year. The collection of organic waste also results in emissions which depend on the choice of vehicle and fuel, but also on the structure of the collection area in terms of driving distances and number of stops. In order to minimize this environmental impact, many sanitation companies choose to use the upgraded biogas to fuel their own trucks. It can also be used in the production of power and heat for the process or for adjacent buildings and it thus becomes a complete solution for the energy supply.


3.2.2 Indirect environmental effect The greatest indirect environmental effects arise when biogas production is established at farms. Land use and substrate handling, among others, is altered when the crop rotation is changed to include energy crops used in the digestion, and when the manure handling is changed by the use of manure for biogas production. In the conventional manure handling, spontaneous methane emissions occur during storing and spreading procedures. These emissions are captured when the substrate is instead treated in a biogas plant. The crop rotation may be changed to include, for instance, catch crops with the ability to capture large amounts of nutrients from the ground. The resulting effect on eutrophication depends, however, on more parameters than solely a changed crop rotation. For this reason it is important to have deeper knowledge about the environmental effect of all stages of the process in order to guarantee the sound environmental profile of the biogas production.

The nutrient leakage can also be managed through, for example, collection of tops and leaves of beets from the field and using this material for biogas production instead. Studies show that 20-40% of the nitrogen is lost in the following growing season if the tops and leaves are left on the field. If this material is instead taken care of, digested and used as fertilizer in the coming growing season, the losses of nitrogen can be reduced with 30 kg N/ha and year.

Spreading – Digestate

In the biogas production, a digestate is obtained which is an excellent fertilizer. Through the process the nitrogen is made more accessible for the plants as it is transformed to ammonia nitrogen (approx. 85%). Also, the dry matter content is reduced which makes the digestate more easy to spread. The use of digestate as fertilizer does, however, put more demand on the choice of spreading occasion as this must be optimized to avoid nutrient leakage. In the spreading process, some of the nitrogen can be lost in the form of ammonia and nitrous oxide. The risk of this can, however, be reduced through for instance injection into the humus, spreading of the digestate into growing crops or through adjusting the point of spreading to appropriate weather conditions. With the right weather conditions, the leakage can be kept below 5 % whereas it may rise to 30% during a warm and windy day. The risk of ammonia emissions is, however, even higher when spreading conventional, undigested manure. Compared to conventional manure, the possible leakage will be easier to control since a greater part of the nutrients are released immediately as opposed to in the case of undigested manure, where the release of nitrogen may take place during a longer period of time.

In the spreading of liquid manure, there is also a risk of nitrous oxide emissions to occur. This risk is, however, reduced when the manure is digested since the amount of easily degraded compounds, which otherwise give energy to the nitrous oxide forming bacteria, is reduced.

The use of digestate as fertilizer also reduces the need for artificial fertilizers that demand great amounts of energy in the production. However, the addition of a certain amount of phosphorus is still needed, depending on the composition of the digestate.

The heavy metal cadmium is what is called a phasing-out compound, which is to be phased out of society and this is a current topic when it comes to


biofertilizer. Cadmium exists naturally in the earth, to a greater extent in certain areas and more or less in certain types of substrates. Up to now, this issue has mainly been discussed in relation to biogas production at waste water treatment plants, but it will become more important for farmers to keep control of the cadmium content of the digestate as the threshold limit value is lowered. Already today, limits exist as to how much is allowed to be spread on fields and this level will probably be lowered in the future. For this reason, it is important to think one step ahead and, among others, take a closer look at the cadmium content of the substrates used in the plant.

Alternative treatment methods

The digestion of food industry waste and organic household waste closes the nutrient loop as the digestate is returned to the ground. However, for these substrates, alternative treatment methods exist to which biogas production must be compared in order to decide what option is best. An alternative treatment method is composting which gives a soil-improving material that can be spread on green surfaces and possibly fields. Compared to biogas production, a larger part of the nitrogen is lost through emissions of nitrous oxide and ammonia in the composting process. The level of utilization of plant nutrients is thus reduced. One last alternative for these waste streams is incineration which generates energy. However, in this process the greater part of the nutrients is lost and the ashes cannot be used as fertilizer as they are often polluted by several compounds. A part of the industry waste is currently used as feed and may therefore need to be replaced if these same substrates would instead be used for biogas production. The environmental impact this would lead to is difficult to generalize and must be studied in each separate case.

3.3 Spreading acreages

An aspect which is important to investigate before the establishment of biogas production, is the offset possibility for the digestate. Spreading of manure is allowed with a maximum phosphorus concentration of 22 kg/ha and year. For larger production facilities in urban areas without fields in the vicinity or in areas with a high density of animals, the access of spreading acreages can thereby become limiting. Moreover, certain acreages in an area may already be set aside for the spreading of manure from existing animal production, why new acreages must be located. Cropland and some parts of the pastureland are included as possible spreading acreages. Land in fallow,

For more information Börjesson Pål et al [2010] Livscykelanalys av svenska biodrivmedel – IMES/EESS Report No. 70, http://www.miljo.lth.se/svenska/publikationer/visaInfo.asp?ID=362

Börjesson Pål & Berglund Maria [2003] Miljöanalys av biogassystem - IMES/EESS Report No. 45, http://www.miljo.lth.se/svenska/publikationer/visaInfo.asp?ID=195

Lantz Mikael et al [2009] Systemoptimerad produktion av fordonsgas - En miljö- och energisystemanalys av Söderåsens biogasanläggning – IMES/EESS Report No. 69, http://www.miljo.lth.se/svenska/publikationer/visaInfo.asp?ID=359

Tufvesson Linda, Lantz Mikael [2012] Livscykelanalys av biogas från restprodukter – IMES/EESS Report No. 76, http://www.sgc.se/ckfinder/userfiles/files/SGC257.pdf

Avfall Sverige [2012] Verktyg för att säkerställa lågt kadiuminnehåll i biogödsel, Report B2012:02, http://www.avfallsverige.se/fileadmin/uploads/Rapporter/Biologisk/B2012-02.pdf

http://www.miljo.lth.se/svenska/publikationer/visaInfo.asp?ID=362



http://www.sgc.se/ckfinder/userfiles/files/SGC257.pdf

http://www.avfallsverige.se/fileadmin/uploads/Rapporter/Biologisk/B2012-02.pdf



protected zones and cropland where horse manure is not allowed to be spread, are not to be counted as available spreading acreages.

The regulations regarding spreading of fertilizer can differ amongst the municipalities with varying restrictions for different substrates. Therefore, the local guidelines must firstly be studied to be able to take possible limitations in the projecting of a plant into account. The following issues should be considered:

What municipal restrictions are there for the spreading of biofertilizer

originating from different types of raw material? Is, for instance, the

digestate from waste water treatment plants allowed to be spread?

Which areas are set aside for the spreading of digestate? Which are

free for spreading?

It is normally not economically feasible to transport manure and digestate over longer distances. When having limited access to spreading acreage it may therefore be interesting to investigate the possibilities of refining the fertilizer. It may, for example, be separated into a liquid and a solid fraction. The wetter fraction can thus be spread locally while the enhanced DM-content of the other fraction would make it more profitable to transport over longer distances. Other alternatives are perhaps pelleting or separation.

For more information Jordbruksverket, Spridning av gödselmedel http://www.sjv.se/amnesomraden/odling/vaxtnaring/spridagodselmedel/

http://www.sjv.se/amnesomraden/odling/vaxtnaring/spridagodselmedel/


3.4 Economic aspects The costs of investment and the total economy for a biogas plant are greatly dependent on the dimensioning, choice of material, costs of substrates, choice of technology, offset for the gas etc., and are therefore difficult to generalize. However, the biogas production is normally affected by economy of scale and for this reason larger plants are currently the most common. Growth of the Swedish biogas sector would lower the prices, since the largest parts of the costs currently arise when dealing with permit applications, projecting and engineering. A greater number of plants per year would potentially lower these costs.

With the current costs of investment and economic support systems, biogas production is not considered profitable if the production is less than 3 GWh. If the value of the energy would increase, however, and a support system would be introduced which for instance gives a bonus when manure is used as substrate, plants with capacities of around 1 GWh would become feasible. Serial production lowers the costs and makes the plants more accessible.

3.4.1 Substrates When it comes to availability of substrates and where biogas production gives most environmental benefits, the greatest potential is found in the agricultural sector. However, not everyone have the possibility to invest in a private plant, but may still often be interested in delivering substrates for facilities or being part-owner of a common plant.

At many organic farms, where mineral fertilizer is not allowed, the extra value of the digestate is seen as an incentive for investing in biogas production. For this reason, the will to pay is often larger at these types of farms.

The possibilities to compile a satisfactory calculation depend on whether enough substrate is available. A suggested limit is set at a production of 2 GWh per year. For this production approximately 15 000 m3 of manure, which corresponds to approximately 400 cows or 5 000 pigs for fattening, is needed.

Which parts are needed for the establishment of a biogas plant?

Investments

•Biogas plant: reception hall, pre-treatment, sanitization, reactors, screw conveyor feeding, small digestate storage and torch, raw material storage, membrane gas storage serving as roof for the digestor.

•Biofertilizer storage: concrete wells with roof

•Upgrading, purification, compression, gas storage

•Gas engine

•Other; ground preparation, infrastructure for distribution of material, fertilizer and gas, heating system, electricity and steering system, pumps, possibly new premises (ex. boiler room)

Operating costs

•Maintenance

•Personnel; how much will be operated under personal management? Maintenance and service for the logistics planning and maintenance surveillance as well as some further administration

•Transports; manure and biofertilizer as well as some substrates.

•Process energy; operation of pumps, stirrers, ventilation, hygienizing, upgrading, compression etc.

•Costs or alternatively, incomes for substrates

•Other; unexpected costs


Different raw material used in the production are connected to different costs. Plants which run on sewage sludge have the lowest production cost. After this comes food residues, where the collection of the substrate leads to higher costs. For certain types of residues, a collection fee can be obtained but an increased competition of substrates can lead to a future situation where residues must instead be bought from industries and sanitation companies. Manure may be received for free in most cases, but it is connected to certain handling costs. The highest production cost, however, is that of energy crops and crop residues. The cost of these substrates is closely connected to the current price of cereals.

3.4.2 Upgrading Investment in upgrading of the produced gas is currently only economically feasible for larger production facilities. However, the will to pay is greater for upgraded gas which changes the final calculation.

Upgrading is largely affected by economy of scale when it comes to the investment costs. Small-scale upgrading has an investment cost of approx. 1.35 MSEK and 0.26 SEK/kWh. According to manufacturers and developers of the technology, the price may be reduced to 0.20 SEK/kWh. Large-scale upgrading has lower costs of approx. 0.06 – 0.14 SEK/kWh if the flow is 100 – 200 m3/h. A possibility for smaller plants to realize the investment in upgrading is through connecting with other producers and thereby gain enough resources for economic feasibility. Opinions differ about where the line goes that divide profitable investments in upgrading facilities from unprofitable. For instance, volumes of 8 – 10 GWh and up to 35 GWh are both mentioned as minimum.

3.4.3 Distribution A discussion regarding the cost of different distribution alternatives is found in a previous chapter of this guide, see page 14.

An important factor which affects the economy is to insure there are offset possibilities for the gas. For example, when gas is used for heat production, the offset varies with the season, where a surplus is produced during summer. Here, upgrading and injection into the net could be a potential solution or possibly to store the gas until the need is increased.

3.4.4 Support and economic incentives Various economic incentives are used to increase the growth within the biogas sector, for instance, energy taxes, the Emission Trading Scheme, investment subsidies, electricity certificates etc. The aim of these incentives is to promote energy efficiency measures and the production of domestic, renewable energy. The energy taxes concern emissions of carbon dioxide and sulfur as well as the use of energy. In addition to these taxes, gas vehicles have a reduced vehicle tax. Also, drivers who choose biogas vehicles as their company official car get a reduced fringe benefit tax, 40% lower than that of fossil fueled cars.

Electricity certificates were introduced in May 2003 and promote the production of renewable electricity by providing producers with an electricity certificate for each produced MWh. Then, all users have a quota obligation to buy certificates which gives an extra income for the renewable energy producers. New plants obtain this certificate for 15 years and the program ends in 2030.


Farmers and other rural entrepreneurs who invest in production or refinement of biogas can obtain up to 30 % of the initial cost as an investment subsidy. More information regarding this can be found at www.lansstyrelsen.se/skane/foretagsstod. With the aid of local biogas organizations or agencies, more information about topical incentives and support can be found.

3.4.5 The economic value of the biofertilizer An economic aspect which is difficult to value is the biofertilizer which is a product of the process. Farmers who utilize biofertilizer testify on larger harvests resulting from the fertilizer and a reduced need for mineral fertilizer. The digestate becomes especially valuable in organic cultivation systems where the use of mineral fertilizer is not allowed.

3.5 Forms of ownership and owner relations

There are often many actors involved in biogas production and for this reason the forms of ownership must be clarified. For these, many alternatives are possible. Will the biogas production be run as a company or as an association? In order to avoid future disputes, it is important to have sufficient previous knowledge about what would be the proper company form. A corporation is the most common solution and it is well governed by legislation. However, other types of co-operations occur, such as community associations and economic associations. Here, the forms of collaboration are also legislated through the Act of Economic Associations, the Act of Management of Communities and the Act of Establishments. Legislation and regulations do, however, not control everything and must be complemented by contracts regarding, for instance, deliverance of energy and purchase of the plant as well as possible operation warranties, selling of gas, deliverance of substrate etc.

In an investigation of how infrastructural problems in Skåne can be solved, Karl-Erik Grevendal and Christer Lannestam give an example of a business model for the collaboration in a local gas net, see Figure 6 below.

For more information Edström Mats, Jansson Lars-Erik, Lantz Mikael, Johansson Lars-Gunnar, Nordberg Ulf, Nordberg Åke [2008], RKA 42 Gårdsbaserad biogasproduktion – system, ekonomi och klimatpåverkan, http://www.jti.se/uploads/jti/RKA-42_ME.pdf

Lannestam Christer & Grevendahl Karl-Erik, 2010, Hur kan problematiken med bristande infrastruktur för biogas i Skåne åtgärdas? Skånet AB, Karl-Erik Grevendahl Development

Johan Benjaminsson och Marita Linné 2007, SGC Rapport 178 Biogasanläggningar med 300 GWh årsproduktion - system, teknik och ekonomi, http://www.sgc.se/display.asp?ID=1154&Typ=Rapport&Menu=Rapporter

Biogasportalen, Stöd och styrmedel http://www.biogasportalen.se/BliProducentAvBiogas/Ekonomi/Stodochstyrmedel

Biogasportalen, Investeringskostnader http://www.biogasportalen.se/BliProducentAvBiogas/Ekonomi/Investeringskostnader

LRF [2009], Affärsutveckling för gårdsbaserad biogas, http://www.lrf.se/PageFiles/7440/Affarsutveckling_for_gardsbaserad_biogas_LR.pdf


http://www.lansstyrelsen.se/skane/foretagsstod

http://www.jti.se/uploads/jti/RKA-42_ME.pdf


http://www.biogasportalen.se/BliProducentAvBiogas/Ekonomi/Stodochstyrmedel

http://www.biogasportalen.se/BliProducentAvBiogas/Ekonomi/Investeringskostnader

http://www.lrf.se/PageFiles/7440/Affarsutveckling_for_gardsbaserad_biogas_LR.pdf



Figure 6. Example of business model for biogas production. Adapted from: Lannestam Christer & Grevendahl Karl-Erik [2010].

In this example, farmers with substrates suitable for biogas production have joined to form an economic association. This association then “reports” to the biogas corporation together with municipalities, industries etc., who owns all technical equipment and grids and are responsible for negotiating contracts with customers, suppliers etc. Moreover, the biogas corporation connects the local system to the regional net and sells the digestate to farmers.

Regional grids normally require greater investments and come about through collaboration with several actors. These are naturally owned by private actors, like the form of ownership prevailing currently.

3.6 Future biogas potential

An important part of a biogas action plan is the question of how the future for biogas is assumed to develop. The following issues regarding the future development of the biogas sector and the possible change of potential in the municipality, can be part of the study and should be considered:

Will new industries be established that generate residues which could be used for biogas production?

How does the development of the sales of gas vehicles seem?

For more information LRF [2009], Affärsutveckling för gårdsbaserad biogas, http://www.lrf.se/PageFiles/7440/Affarsutveckling_for_gardsbaserad_biogas_LR.pdf

Lannestam Christer & Grevendahl Karl-Erik [2010], Hur kan problematiken med bristande infrastruktur för biogas i Skåne åtgärdas? Skånet AB, Karl-Erik Grevendahl Development



Are there already plans to build new biogas plants in the area? In that case, what capacity will these have?

Are there any plans to expand the district heating net?

Are there any interesting procurements in the pipeline?

Are any incentives discussed that motivates the production or use?

Is the demand assumed to increase?

What does the price trend look like?/How is it assumed to develop?

What national and regional goals exist?

How interested are companies and individuals? What measures can be taken to increase the interest in biogas?

3.7 Permit application

To build a biogas plant, a number of different permits are needed. The projector is responsible for making sure these are available and that controls which need to be implemented are carried out. For building and operation several permits are necessary, which are partly dependent on the dimensioning of the plant. This regards, among others, building permit according to the Act of Planning and Building and permits according to the Act of Flammable and Explosive Goods and according to the Environmental Law.

The classification of biogas plants is shown in Table 3, together with the examining authority which treat each classification.

Table 3. Permit classification for different biogas plants and the examining authorities.

Permit class Size of plant Examining authority A Large plants which receive more

than 100 000 tons of residues per year.

The Land and Environment Court

B Medium and large plants which receive 500 – 100 000 tons of residues per year for digestion to more than 150 000 Nm3.

The Environmental Examination Commission (Decision-making body within the County Administrative Board)

C Smaller plants which receive less than 500 tons of residues or produce less than 150 000 Nm3 per year.

Notification to the municipal regulatory authority

If the biogas plant is classified as permit obliged, environmentally hazardous B-activity according to the Environmental Section, the County Administrative Board examines the permits. Examination of activities according to the Environmental Section means the environmental impact of the activity is weighted against different individual and common interests. In the examination, an assessment is made of whether a permit can be given for the activity and which conditions will apply for this.

For more information SGC [2009], Gårdsbiogashandboken – Rapport SGC 206, kapitel 8 http://www.sgc.se/Dokument/SGC206.pdf

Energigas Sverige, Anvisningar för biogasanläggningar, BGA 2012 [2012] & Energigasnormer EGN 2011 [2011] http://www.energigas.se/Publikationer/NormerAnvisningar

SGC [2006], Energigaser - Regelverk och standarder http://www.gasakademin.se/regelverk.asp

http://www.sgc.se/Dokument/SGC206.pdf

http://www.energigas.se/Publikationer/NormerAnvisningar

http://www.gasakademin.se/regelverk.asp


4 Compilation In this part of the process, all information gathered in the inventory is compiled and distributed. The compilation constitute an important part of the basis for decision-making. With the analysis and compilation carried out, an overview of the possibilities in the area has been achieved. In order for the work to carry on, the report must be forwarded to all affected parties. Consider: Who are to study the contents of the investigation? Which are the key actors (internally within the municipal organization and externally) to be contacted and who should study the contents of the result? In what form should it be presented?

5 Building of network and actor collaboration Biogas production is not a matter of course, and to reach success it is therefore important to gather the actors of the industry and cooperate to make reality of ideas. The municipality of Västervik is a successful example of this, where the biogas has been established owing to a strong political will and agreement. The idea had the support of the right people who continue to back-up the project despite some initial adversities. But how can this be achieved?

To make everyone involved and inspired, continuous communication between the parties is important in order to update everyone on the proceedings and discuss what is to be achieved. Concretize and structure the network through, for instance, Figure 7 so all parts of the biogas puzzle find their right place and everyone is heard. What actors are found at the different posts? The production can come about in many different ways through various forms of cooperation. Also regarding substrates and the offset possibilites for the biogas, there is an almost infinite number of combinations and different actors. For the offset of digestate it is, as discussed on page 22, important that interested users are localized or alternatively, that the digestate is treated and transported according to present guidelines.

Figure 7. Building of network, which actors are present?

6 Suggestion biogas action plan After this detailed compilation, most of the comprehensive information needed for the continuation towards a decision to invest in biogas, is

•Farmers•Energy companies

•Industries•Local gas nets

•Farmers•Industries•Sanitation companies

• Sanitation companies •Farmers

Production Substrates

Offset digestate

Offset biogas


available. Now, a strategy of how the biogas work is to be continued should be made. What targets can be set for production and use? What may the future come to look like? What actors are on the border of cooperation and need further communication to join the development work? How can the biogas action plan become a reality?

The municipal energy plan may/should be included in the discussions as it may motivate an investment or may have to be revised as a result of this investment. This also applies for the municipal waste plan which may give indications of the amount of substrate available in the form of residues, currently and possibly in the future. For example, the amount of organic residues may increase as a result of targets being reached in the waste plan.

In the current situation, only few Swedish municipalities have elaborated on a specific action plan/strategy for biogas. In most cases, biogas is included as an interesting possibility in the energy and climate strategy. By using the biogas strategy, the ideas and possibilities of biogas can gain support in the municipality. The next step now is to discuss whether it is possible for the municipality to support the development considered potential. Is a company to be formed to establish and operate the biogas production? Is cooperation between certain actors needed to bring about development? Or is the action plan simply to be distributed to all interested parties? The possibilities to reach success are many and largely dependent on the local conditions.


References Avfall Sverige [2012] Verktyg för att säkerställa lågt kadiuminnehåll i biogödsel, Rapport B2012:02, http://www.avfallsverige.se/fileadmin/uploads/Rapporter/Biologisk/B2012-02.pdf

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Biogas guide - Kommunförbundet Skåne · 2015-08-20 · Project leader An accountable individual...

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