Economic and Energy Efficiency Analysis of the Biogas Plant Digestate Management Methods

Mateusz Nowak, Wiktor Bojarski and Wojciech Czekała ()
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Mateusz Nowak: Department of Biosystems Engineering, Poznań University of Life Sciences, Wojska Polskiego 50, 60-627 Poznań, Poland
Wiktor Bojarski: Department of Biosystems Engineering, Poznań University of Life Sciences, Wojska Polskiego 50, 60-627 Poznań, Poland
Wojciech Czekała: Department of Biosystems Engineering, Poznań University of Life Sciences, Wojska Polskiego 50, 60-627 Poznań, Poland

Energies, 2024, vol. 17, issue 12, 1-19

Abstract: The aim of this study was to conduct a comprehensive economic and energy efficiency analysis of selected digestate management methods, considering their implications on operational costs and resource management. To achieve this aim, the study focuses on a comparative assessment of different digestate management methods, including land application, mechanical separation, the composting process and pellet production. The economic analysis involves the evaluation of the initial investment, operational expenses, and potential revenue streams associated with each method. The most economical and popular solution of digestate management is direct use as fertilizer, with total costs of 1.98 EUR·Mg −1 . All of the other methods involve higher digestate management costs, respectively; for separation it is 2.42 EUR·Mg −1 , for composting it is 2.81 EUR·Mg −1 . The process that is the most energy-intensive, but profitable, is the production of pellets from digestate, resulting in profits of 334,926 EUR·year −1 . It should be noted that the other analyzed methods of digestate management also bring many environmental benefits, affecting sustainability and reducing emissions. The results of this research will contribute unique data on the feasibility of managing the digestate and its fractions. The calculations of economic and energy values for different strategies will allow for the optimization of the overall performance of the biogas plant, thus promoting a circular economy.

Keywords: energy efficiency; sustainable energy; waste management; waste as resources; digestate; fertilizer; energy recovery (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: 2024
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (1)

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