The optimal size for biogas plants

✍ Scribed by C. Walla; W. Schneeberger

• Publisher: Elsevier Science
• Year: 2008
• Tongue: English
• Weight: 275 KB
• Volume: 32
• Category: Article
• ISSN: 0961-9534
• DOI: 10.1016/j.biombioe.2007.11.009

✦ Synopsis

The costs of biogas and electricity production from maize silage in relation to plant size are investigated in this paper. A survey of manufacturers' engineering data was conducted to derive a reliable relationship between the capacity of a combined heat and power (CHP) unit and its electrical efficiency. Then a model was developed to derive cost curves for the unit costs of biogas and electricity production and for the transport costs for maize silage and biogas slurry. The least-cost plant capacity depends to a great extent on the local availability of silage maize, and ranges in the model calculations from 575 to 1150 kW el .

Finally, the paper deals with the optimum operating plant size due to the investment support available and the graduated tariff for green electricity in Austria.