State of art and perspectives of biogas production from

organic materials in Germany

Jan Liebetrau

DBFZ – Overview

2

Development:

• The Deutsches Biomasseforschungszentrum (DBFZ) was founded on 28 February 2008 in

Berlin as a non-profit LLC (gGmbH).

• The Federal German Government represented by the Federal Ministry of Food and

Agriculture (BMEL) is the sole shareholder of the DBFZ.

Mission:

• The scientific task of the DBFZ is to comprehensively support the efficient establishment of

biomass as a valuable resource for sustainable energy supply within the scope of applied

research and to drive it forward, both theoretically and practically.

Structure:

• Around 220 employees in12/2013 (administration &

• research).

Management:

• Prof. Dr. mont. Michael Nelles (Scientific Managing Director)

• Daniel Mayer (Administrative Managing Director)

Abb.: DBFZ

Agricultural Biogas Plants

4

Electricity Generation from Biogas (2000-

2013)

DBFZ, Stromerzeugung aus Biomasse 5/2014 5

0

500

1.000

1.500

2.000

2.500

3.000

3.500

4.000

0

1.000

2.000

3.000

4.000

5.000

6.000

7.000

8.000

2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013

Insta

llie

rte

ele

ktr

ische

An

lag

en

leis

tung [M

Wel]

An

lag

en

za

hl [-

]

> 1000 kWel 501 - 1000 kWel

> 500 kWel 151 - 500 kWel

70 - 500 kWel 70 - 150 kWel

≤ 70 kWel install. el. Leistung [MWel]

© DBFZ, Stand 05/2014

Nu

mb

er

of

Pla

nts

Insta

lle

d E

lectr

ica

l C

ap

acit

y

Composition of Substrates Biogas I

6 Source: DBFZ, Stromerzeugung aus Biomasse 5/2014

o The substrate composition in biogas plants is dominated by animal manure and

renewable materials (over 90%)

o Energy-specific manure plays a minor role (13%) due to the low biogas potential

animal

manure/dung

44%

Energy crops

48%

industrial/

agricultural

organic

residues

6%

bio-waste

2% animal

manure/dung

13%

Energy crops

77%

industrial/

agricultural

organic

residues

7%

bio-waste

3%

Mass-specific substrate composition Energy-specific substrate composition

n=707

Heat Use I

Verteilung der Nennungen (Anzahl) nach Anteilen externer Wärmenutzung (nach Abzug des

Eigenwärmebedarfs) (DBFZ-Betreiberbefragung 2014)

7

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

90

≤ 10 11 - 25 26 - 50 51 - 75 76 - 90 91 - 100

Nennungen [

Anzahl]

Anteil extern genutzter Wärme [%] n=292

keine externe Wärmenutzung

100 % externe Wärmenutzung

o Around 85 % of responders use heat for external purposes (excluding own heat requirements

o On average 51 % of excess heat is used for external purposes

DBFZ, Stromerzeugung aus Biomasse 5/2014

No external heat use

100% external heat use

Share of external heat use

Nu

mb

er

of

Re

sp

on

de

rs

0 10 20 30 40 50 60

Sozialgebäude

Trocknungsprozesse

Stallbeheizung

Nahwärmeversorgung

Fernwärme

öffentliche Gebäude

Gärtnerei/ Gewächshaus

Gewerbe/ Industrie

sonstige Wärmenutzung

relative Häufigkeit [%] n=531

Sommer

Winter

Heat Use II

Externe Wärmenutzung differenziert nach Sommer und Winter, relative Häufigkeit bezogen auf

Stichprobe (n=531) (DBFZ-Betreiberbefragung 2014) 8

o Mostly no difference in seasonal utilization given

o Drying plays a greater role in summer compared to winter season

Others

Commercial/

industrial

Horticultural

Public buildings

District heating

Local heating grid

Barn heating

Drying

Social buildings

Summer

Winter

Relative frequency

Bio-waste Plants

9

Fermentation of Bio-waste

(Bio-)Abfallvergärungsanlagen in Deutschland differenziert nach

Betriebsstatus und Substratinput (Datenbank DBFZ, Stand 11/2013)

o Around 130 plants (mainly or exclusively)

for the fermentation of organic wastes

(2013)

o 962 plants with permission to use bio-

waste and organic residues; 443 plants

utilize bio-waste (2012: Federal Statistics

Office)

o Statistics for bio-waste biogas plants are

not clear due to the problem of different

definitions of” bio-waste/waste”

o 76 plants use bio-waste and organic

residues from separate collection

o 62 plants use bio-waste according to §

27a EEG 2012

11

Conditioning Sanitation Plug-flow fermenter Plug-flow fermenter Separation

Box

fermentation

Torch CHP

Biofilter

Composting (closed) Composting (open) Process water

Technology Differentiation Agricultural and

Bio-waste Plants

12

• Aim of treatment (reduction of waste vs. energy generation, type of

end product(s)

• Legal frame

• Especially 150 day rule of the EEG

• Enclosure of construction parts incl. exhaust gas capture and treatment

• Large share in dry fermentation

• Large share of plants with post-composting facilities – open air

handling of digestates necessary

• Sanitation, biofilter, acid scrubber

• Used substrates

• Modes of operation

Composition of Substrates Bio-waste Plants

13

7 7 7 7 7 7 7 7 8

34 37 40 42 44 45 48 48 50

14 14 14 14 15 16 16 16 162126

3236

4046

5361

76

0

20

40

60

80

100

120

140

160

2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014*

Ve

rgä

run

gsan

lage

n [A

nza

hl]

*inkl. in Bau und Planung

Bioabfall

Bioabfall, Speisereste

Speisereste, gewerbl./industr. Reststoffe

keine Angabe

DBFZ 2014

Bio-waste (collected)

Biowaste from Industry

Organic waste

No response

N

um

be

r o

f P

lan

ts

Treatment Technology Bio-waste plants

14

14 14 14 14 15 17 18 18

44 48 50 52 54 54 56 56

1416

19 2122 24

26 32

35

810

1318

2325

0

20

40

60

80

100

120

140

2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013

Ve

rgäru

ngsan

lage

n [A

nza

hl]

Trockenfermentation diskont.(Boxen)

Trockenfermentation kont.(Pfropfenstrom)

Nassfermentation

kombiniert Nass- undTrockenfermentation

keine Angabe

DBFZ 2014

N

um

be

r o

f P

lan

ts

Dry – Box, discont.

Dry – Plug-flow, cont.

Wet

Combined dry/wet

No respond

Treatment Technology Bio-waste plants

15

14 14 14 14 15 17 18 18

44 48 50 52 54 54 56 56

1416

19 2122 24

26 32

35

810

1318

2325

0

20

40

60

80

100

120

140

2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013

Ve

rgäru

ngsan

lage

n [A

nza

hl]

Trockenfermentation diskont.(Boxen)

Trockenfermentation kont.(Pfropfenstrom)

Nassfermentation

kombiniert Nass- undTrockenfermentation

keine Angabe

DBFZ 2014

N

um

be

r o

f P

lan

ts

Dry – Box, discont.

Dry – Plug-flow, cont.

Wet

Combined dry/wet

No respond

Treatment Technology Bio-waste plants

16

14 14 14 14 15 17 18 18

44 48 50 52 54 54 56 56

1416

19 2122 24

26 32

35

810

1318

2325

0

20

40

60

80

100

120

140

2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013

Ve

rgäru

ngsan

lage

n [A

nza

hl]

Trockenfermentation diskont.(Boxen)

Trockenfermentation kont.(Pfropfenstrom)

Nassfermentation

kombiniert Nass- undTrockenfermentation

keine Angabe

DBFZ 2014

N

um

be

r o

f P

lan

ts

Dry – Box, discont.

Dry – Plug-flow, cont.

Wet

Combined dry/wet

No respond

Treatment Technology Bio-waste plants

17

14 14 14 14 15 17 18 18

44 48 50 52 54 54 56 56

1416

19 2122 24

26 32

35

810

1318

2325

0

20

40

60

80

100

120

140

2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013

Ve

rgäru

ngsan

lage

n [A

nza

hl]

Trockenfermentation diskont.(Boxen)

Trockenfermentation kont.(Pfropfenstrom)

Nassfermentation

kombiniert Nass- undTrockenfermentation

keine Angabe

DBFZ 2014

N

um

be

r o

f P

lan

ts

Dry – Box, discont.

Dry – Plug-flow, cont.

Wet

Combined dry/wet

No respond

Biomethane

18

Biomethane Plants – Upgrading Facilities

19

o 31.12.2013:

o 144 Biogas upgrading facilities in

operation

o 24 new plants in 2013

o Most significant increase in

Sachsen-Anhalt (6 plants)

o m³ i.N./h Biomethane (2013) ca.

8,9 TWhHs(IWES)

DBFZ, Stromerzeugung aus Biomasse 5/2014

Treatment Technologies I

20

Upgrading (raw) biogas towards natural gas quality (CO2-Separation):

o Mostly used technologies: Amin scrubber, DWW and PSA

o In comparison to the previous year membrane technologies increased its share (was 3 plants, is 7

plants)

DBFZ, Stromerzeugung aus Biomasse 5/2014

No response

Membrane process

Polyglycol wash

Pressure swing adsorption (PSA)

water scrubber (DWW)

Amin scrubber

N

um

be

r o

f P

lan

ts

Technical Description of Treatment Technologies

(2012)

21 Source: FNR (Hrsg.): Leitfaden Biogasaufbereitung und -nutzung, 2014

Carbotech Malmberg Greenlane Haase MT

Biomethan

Axiom

Technology PSA WS WS Absorption

with organic

solutions

Amin

scrubber

Membrane

Plant site in m³ i.N./h

biogas

400-2.800 350-2.000 400-2.800 250-2.800 400-2.000 400-700

Required space in m² 200-300 80-250 36-60 100-555 107-230 105-166

Required elec. energy in

kW/m³ i.N./h biogas

<0,19 0,2-0,23 0,17-0,22 0,23-0,27 0,09 0,24

Required therm. energy in

kW/m³ i.N./h biogas

0 0 0 Internal heat

use

0,6 0

Transfer pressure in bar 2 4,5-5,5 7-8 5-7 1,2 6

Max external heat usable

kWhth/m³ i.N./h biogas

<0,1 0,06-0,18 0,1-0,12 0,12-0,13 0,3 0,36

Methane losses <1,55 <1% <1%

<1%

<0,1% <5%

Specific Technology Cost

22

Specific

cost

Capacity in m³ i.N./h Biomethane

Membrane

technology just

entered the market

Specific Electricity Generation Cost –

Biomethane from Biomass

23

0

2

4

6

8

10

12

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ys. A

bso

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on

…

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e

PSA

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PSA

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…

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…

PSA

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…

PSA

Wat

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bb

er

Ph

ys. A

bso

rpti

on

…

250 350 400 500 700 1400 2000 2800

Spec

ific

co

sts

[ct/

kWh

Hs]

Type of upgrading technology related to capacity [Nm³/h]

Biogas Production (from energy crops) Upgrading to Biomethane Feed-into the grid

Source: DBFZ, 2013

Summary

• Wide range of technologies for various substrates and conversion

paths for biogas are available

• Customized technology for each plant required

• State of the art technology is available

• Future flexible operation of electricity generation

Further developments :

• Small-scale plants for animal manure

• Optimized plants for bio-waste and composting

24

DBFZ Deutsches

Biomasseforschungszentrum

gemeinnützige GmbH

Torgauer Straße 116

D-04347 Leipzig

Tel.: +49 (0)341 2434 – 112

E-Mail: info@dbfz.de

www.dbfz.de

Researching the energy of the future –

come and join us!

Contact

Jan Liebetrau

Jan.Liebetrau@dbfz.de