EU Cropgen: biogas from energy crops and agrowastes

Banks, C. J. and Salter, A. M. (2007) EU Cropgen: biogas from energy crops and agrowastes. Bioenergy 2007: 3rd International Bioenergy Conference and Exhibition, Jyväskylä, Finland. 02 - 05 Sep 2007.

Record type: Conference or Workshop Item (Paper)

Abstract

The EU-funded CROPGEN project looked at on-farm energy production through anaerobic digestion. It adopted a whole systems approach including crop production, storage, transformation, use of the digestate and fuel. Data were obtained on the methane potential of crop species and the farming inputs to grow and process these; this information was ordered into a searchable database and later used in energy and economic models. Laboratory, pilot and full-scale digesters were run on a variety of substrates ranging from energy crops to agricultural and process residues to obtain operating and kinetic data. This data was further used in the adaptation of process models and to develop process control systems. A number of process innovations were also investigated, ranging from simple leach beds to multi-phase digesters. The results of the research and the information gathered have been used to examine the overall energy balance of on-farm biogas production with the system boundaries of crop production to final energy use.

This record has no associated files available for download.