Biogas Plant Operation: Digestate as the Valuable Product

Wojciech Czekała (), Tomasz Jasiński, Mieczysław Grzelak, Kamil Witaszek and Jacek Dach
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Wojciech Czekała: Department of Biosystems Engineering, Poznań University of Life Sciences, Wojska Polskiego 50, 60-637 Poznań, Poland
Tomasz Jasiński: Tomasz Jasiński Biogas Consulting, Tryl 43, 86-170 Nowe, Poland
Mieczysław Grzelak: Department of Grassland and Natural Landscape Sciences, Poznań University of Life Sciences, Dojazd 11, 60-632 Poznan, Poland
Kamil Witaszek: Department of Biosystems Engineering, Poznań University of Life Sciences, Wojska Polskiego 50, 60-637 Poznań, Poland
Jacek Dach: Department of Biosystems Engineering, Poznań University of Life Sciences, Wojska Polskiego 50, 60-637 Poznań, Poland

Energies, 2022, vol. 15, issue 21, 1-11

Abstract: Fertilization is an essential element in plant cultivation. Supplying the right amounts of nutrients allows plants to grow and develop. Due to the rising price of mineral fertilizers, other fertilizers and soil conditioners are growing in importance. One of these is the digestate produced in agricultural biogas plants. Due to its properties, the digestate can be used directly as a fertilizer. In this case, the effects of application can both change the soil environment and directly affect plant growth. Physical, biological, and thermal transformations can also produce products based on the digestate or its fractions, which can be successfully used for fertilizer purposes. Among other things, this paper discusses the production and use of composts, biocarbon, and/or fertilizer granules from the solid fraction of the digestate. Numerous scientific studies, including the authors’ own research in this article, indicate that digestate can be successfully used as fertilizer, both without processing and with selected methods of treatment. However, further research is needed—especially on the diversity of raw materials used for biogas production and their effects on the composition and performance of the digestate. In addition, research should continue on the processing of digestate into specific products, depending on the needs of soils and plants.

Keywords: waste management; circular economy; renewable energy; biogas plant; waste to fertilizer (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: Q Q0 Q4 Q40 Q41 Q42 Q43 Q47 Q48 Q49 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2022
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (7)

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