Biogas Power Stations
Biogas plants are the perfect candidate for ancillary services. They have variable speed turbines, a constant supply of gas as well as their own storage. And they don't rely on gas imported from abroad, instead, the gas is generated on-site thanks to anaerobic digestion. This makes it a climate-friendly solution to the energy transition.
How do biogas plants work?
Biogas plants use anaerobic digestion, which is a process in which waste is digested by microbes to produce methane gas. This can then be used interchangeably with natural gas as a fuel source for power generation. Biogas is useful in rural areas or agricultural regions, due to the availability of waste materials to utilize in the digestor. Virtually any kind of organic material can be used in the process - factors such as temperature and pH will affect the volume of gas produced from a given feedstock.
Biogas has been described as a renewable energy alternative due to the fact that it is zero emissions and is able to be produced locally. Capturing the methane emissions instead of allowing them to escape into the atmosphere works to lessen the greenhouse effect. The feedstocks used in the production of biogas are usually waste products, such as manure or waste material from agricultural production, making it a sustainable solution. Finally, the by-product of biogas generation is a type of enriched organic material that can be used as a substitute for chemical fertilizers to accelerate plant growth.
Is biogas carbon neutral?
Biogas is typically about two-thirds methane (CH4) and one-third carbon dioxide (CO2) Both are climate pollutants. When biogas is combusted, it still creates CO2 emissions, but since the biogas is derived from plants (that naturally remove CO2 from the atmosphere) the CO2 emissions are generally considered climate neutral. Methane is a gas that is far more potent than CO2 in terms of its warming effect and currently accounts for about 25% of global warming. Because biogas seeks to capture methane either from landfills, lagoons, or animal feeding operations, the process actually removes CH4 that would otherwise be reaching the atmosphere. Therefore, even if the CH4 capture is not perfect, it is beneficial, because there is a net reduction in CH4 emissions. In addition, when used as a fuel for supplying electricity instead of imported gas, there is a benefit of reducing fossil fuel energy sources.