BIOGAS TECHNOLOGY IN NIGERIA, FOR AFRICA
A BIOGAS BURNER WITH FLAMEIn recent times, there has been a major shift in thinking about what was usually considered wastes. Wastes are now seen as a means of solving social and economical problems.
A major factor affecting Nigeria’s economical progress is power. And this has been a major discuss in the country.
A reliable and sustainable energy source is greatly desired to power the nations economy and this need cannot be over emphasized. Wastes are here again to the rescue.
An alternative source of energy known as BIOMASS ENERGY can help alleviate the energy needs of the country and the African continent.
Biomass energy can be harnessed in various forms. But our center of discussion is the BIOGAS TECHNOLOGY; which utilizes various organic wastes in order to produce Biogas (biofuel), mineralized water and organic fertilizers.
Biogas technology is a renewable, alternative and sustainable form of energy and wiil help alleviate Nigeria’s energy needs. Not only does biogas technology, help produce an alternative energy source; it also helps in maintaining the environment and improving health conditions. Thus biogas technology is both a resource and environmental biotechnology. Decomposing wastes to produce energy, fertilizer, reducing environmental pollution and also destroying microorganisms that cause diseases, thereby protecting human and animal health.
WHAT IS BIOGAS TECHNOLOGY?
Biogas technology is the use of biological process, in the absence of oxygen, for the breakdown of organic matter into biogas and high quality fertilizer. Biogas is a combustible mixture of methane and carbon dioxide. The process also eliminates disease-causing organisms that cause disease in humans and animals. Biogas technology is a “Carbon neutral process” meaning it neither adds nor removes carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. Potentially, this technology is a significant and profitable way of mitigating global climate change
DIGESTER FRONT VIEWWHAT ARE THE BENEFITS OF BIOGAS TECHNOLOGY?1. An alternative, renewable and sustainable form of energy for electricity generation, running of engines, cooking lighting, heating e.t.c.
2. Provision of mineralized irrigation water for soil and fishpond fertilization.
3. Provision of high quality fertilizer
4. Savings on energy, health and prophylactic expenses, thereby increasing income.
5. Preservation of forest and natural vegetation by reducing demand for wood and charcoal.
6. Isolation and treatment of wastes, eliminating disease causing organisms and reducing odors.
7. Top soil management and enrichment
8. Increased food production.
9. Big boost to organic farming.
10. Improvement of indoor air quality.
11. Poverty alleviation.
12. Underground water conservation.
13. Reduction in the pollution of surface water bodies, where these organic wastes end up.
14. Reduction of green house gas emissions responsible for global climate change.
HOW DOES IT WORK?Biogas technology is carried out using a biological engine known as BIOGAS PLANTS. The Biogas plant keeps and helps maintain conditions for natural biological process to take place optimally to yield the desired results. Biogas plants consist of the Bioreactor, Gas storage vessel and the Utility points. Once the process begins it continues indefinitely as long as wastes are added daily in optimum conditions into the biogas plant as long as integrity maintained. The process is odorless with the daily production of biogas, fertilizer and mineralized water.
Bioreactor: Consist of the inlet pipe where wastes are feed in. The digestion chamber where microorganisms act on the wastes to yield biogas, stabilized organics used as organic fertilizer, which is the solid part of the by-product of the process. And mineralized water, which is the liquid portion. The manhole and outlet pipe are where the organic fertilizer and mineralized water is collected respectively. The gas is collected through a gas hose to the storage vessel.
Gas storage vessel: point where gas is stored. It can be a floating drum, PVC or tarpaulin balloon or a metallic cylindrical tank.
Utility points: Includes engines where biogas is used as a dual fuel to reduce diesel consumption. Engines include that of generators, threshers, crushers, mixers, hullers e.t.c. Cookers for cooking, gas mantles for lightening, driers, gas incubators, and Bunsen burners e.t.c.
Biogas plants come in various designs(horizontal,vertical and underground) and can be built with different materials such as clay and cement blocks, steel, reinforced concrete and stainless steel. Biogas plants come with a guaranteed life span of 10 –30 yrs. The various designs to be implemented are dependent on site requirement.
2. Provision of mineralized irrigation water for soil and fishpond fertilization.
3. Provision of high quality fertilizer
4. Savings on energy, health and prophylactic expenses, thereby increasing income.
5. Preservation of forest and natural vegetation by reducing demand for wood and charcoal.
6. Isolation and treatment of wastes, eliminating disease causing organisms and reducing odors.
7. Top soil management and enrichment
8. Increased food production.
9. Big boost to organic farming.
10. Improvement of indoor air quality.
11. Poverty alleviation.
12. Underground water conservation.
13. Reduction in the pollution of surface water bodies, where these organic wastes end up.
14. Reduction of green house gas emissions responsible for global climate change.
HOW DOES IT WORK?Biogas technology is carried out using a biological engine known as BIOGAS PLANTS. The Biogas plant keeps and helps maintain conditions for natural biological process to take place optimally to yield the desired results. Biogas plants consist of the Bioreactor, Gas storage vessel and the Utility points. Once the process begins it continues indefinitely as long as wastes are added daily in optimum conditions into the biogas plant as long as integrity maintained. The process is odorless with the daily production of biogas, fertilizer and mineralized water.
Bioreactor: Consist of the inlet pipe where wastes are feed in. The digestion chamber where microorganisms act on the wastes to yield biogas, stabilized organics used as organic fertilizer, which is the solid part of the by-product of the process. And mineralized water, which is the liquid portion. The manhole and outlet pipe are where the organic fertilizer and mineralized water is collected respectively. The gas is collected through a gas hose to the storage vessel.
Gas storage vessel: point where gas is stored. It can be a floating drum, PVC or tarpaulin balloon or a metallic cylindrical tank.
Utility points: Includes engines where biogas is used as a dual fuel to reduce diesel consumption. Engines include that of generators, threshers, crushers, mixers, hullers e.t.c. Cookers for cooking, gas mantles for lightening, driers, gas incubators, and Bunsen burners e.t.c.
Biogas plants come in various designs(horizontal,vertical and underground) and can be built with different materials such as clay and cement blocks, steel, reinforced concrete and stainless steel. Biogas plants come with a guaranteed life span of 10 –30 yrs. The various designs to be implemented are dependent on site requirement.
DIGESTER BACK VIEWWHAT ARE THE APPLICABLE FEEDSTOCKS?
Biogas technology is an aspect of Biomass energy production as earlier stated. Biomass is understood to mean all land and water plants, their wastes and by-products, farmyard wastes (including manures) and the wastes and by-products resulting from the transformation of these plant and what they produce. Biomass wastes are generally organic wastes. The production of biomass is primarily from the process of photosynthesis—the capture and conversion of sunlight by plants. What the biogas technology actually does is to unlock energy stored by plants from the sun. In reality no new energy is created but transformed from one form to the other.
Applicable feedstocks include--- all land and water plants e.g. crops, grasses, and water hyacinth e.t.c. Wastes and by-products of plants---agricultural residues after harvest and processing which include vegetable wastes, wastes from food processing industries, paper, kitchen wastes, crop stalks e.t.c. Farmyard wastes--- livestock wastes and human wastes including poultry, piggery, rams, sheep, goats, grass cutters, rabbits and cow wastes. Cassava peels and leaves, palm fibers and remnants that are usually burnt. Also included are abattoir wastes, meat and fish packing plants, fruit processing plants e.t.c.
Wastes may require pre-treatment and or combination before use.
THE BIOTECHNOLOGIST AND HIS GADGET
WHAT ARE THE POTENTIAL APPLICATION AREAS?Biogas technology is a very good solution to local energy needs. It gives an opportunity for the decentralization of energy production. Energy can be produced and used at point of production. Systems like these reduce cost of energy transfer, a big consideration where energy needs are small, and helps in places where they are no mature energy grids.
Commercial farms and plantations: Biogas technology addresses holistically various agricultural problems such as expensive fertilizers and feeds, primitive technology use, produce spoilage, poor waste disposal, soil erosion, ecological degradation and importantly farm power.
With the use of agricultural wastes through biogas technology, wastes from farms can used for generating energy for brooding chicks, gas incubators, boiler operations. Provision of fuel for stationary engines, to supply motive, pump water, drive machinery (e.g. threshers, grinders) or generate electricity. Biogas is used as supplementary fuel in dual fuel engines. Drying, cooking, boiling and smoking of fish (especially catfish), taking into consideration the market value of smoked fish. Fertilizer production rich in NPK as microorganisms in the bioreactor fix nitrogen, which would have been lost to volatization through the normal practice of spreading raw wastes or burning. The fertilizer also helps in soil aggregation without accumulations of salts as characterized by raw organic wastes apppilication.that are toxic to plants. Fertilizer is weed seed free, pathogenic microorganism reduced drastically and odorless. Improving crop productivity and farm hygiene. It is usual for livestock farmers to have fishponds, the mineralized water serve as nutrients for the growth of planktons (Natural fish food) when used in fishpond fertilization, without harming fish population and affecting dissolved oxygen. Reducing the amount of supplemental feed to be used. The mineralized water has an alkaline ph that is required by fishpond and eliminating the need for liming.
The mineralized water when used for irrigation improves soil nutrient and neutralizes acidic soil because of its alkaline ph.
Agro-processing industries: The cassava processing plants can be supplied with energy for running processing machines. Food packing plants and fruit processing plants can use their wastes in producing energy for their domestic use. These plants can be located close to source of wastes for good economics and waste sourcing. Processing plants can be located close to abattoirs or farms and plantations.
Abattoirs: Are potential energy generating stations that can provide energy to power factories, agro processing plants e.t.c. And stop the pollution these waste are causing.
Institutions: Religious camping grounds, boarding schools, campuses, and barracks are all energy generating stations. Providing energy for cooking for students, pilgrims, cadets, laboratory and educational use (researchers and student learning) e.t.c.
Markets: Our markets too are energy stations for providing fuel for factories.
Hotels and Eateries: Large hotels and eateries can be self sufficient of energy for coking and fertilizers for the beatification of their lawns
Water hyacinth: This is problematic waterweeds that cost money to remove mechanically and is still to be totally controlled. They can be used in generating energy. Biogas plants can be sited closed to the water bodies providing energy for a cassava processing plant for example.
HOW SUSTAINABLE IS THIS TECHNIOLOGY?The material, components and technical know how for the implementation is readily available. The utilities for the operation of biogas technology are wastes, which are free, cheap and in abundance. There is no requirement for the addition of chemicals. Income is increased in many folds through energy, fertilizer, health and waste disposal. Maintenance is very cheap like regular painting to avoid surface corrosion of plant.
Taking into consideration of the life span of biogas plants (10-30yrs). The investment is worthwhile and highly profitable. There are no moving parts, meaning there is no wear and tear due to friction.
Nigeria and Africa has an alternaative energy source that is ready to be deployed.
With the increasing population and energy demand, the dream of attaining food security and poverty eradication and environmental management in line with the millennium development goals. It is time to act.
Lets join hands to move the nation forward. This is a call to entrepreneurs, governments and Non governmental organizations. It is time to make great thing happen in our country. Lets make Nigeria great again.
STORAGE AND PRESSURE TANK FLOATING DRUM TYPE
Biogas plants are suitable for decentralized energy production systems. Energy is produced at point of consumption. Wastes are free and are usually burdens. The amount and kind of wastes determine the size of the plant and amount of BIOGAS produced. Biogas plants are customized and installed based on local and site conditions/requirements. Skilled engineers such as plumbers, welders and bricklayers are utilized in installation.
A biogas plant of 30M3 can handle 3TONNES OF WASTES DAILY.
PRODUCING AT LEAST 30,000 LITRES/30M3 OF BIOGAS DAILY
This has a potential of cooking a meal for 300 PEOPLE DAILY
Provision of 200HOURS OF GAS LIGHTENING DAILYCalorific value (Heating Energy) of 207,000 KCAL DAILY
10% REDUCTION in diesel consumption in a 10KVA generator running for 48HOURS CONTINUOUSLY
10% REDUCTION in diesel consumption in a 8Hp engine running for 48HRS CONTINUOUSLY
A lifespan of 20YEARS. Maintenance requires only frequent painting to avoid corrosion.
Management and maintenance can be carried out by unskilled labour. Servicing may not be required as long as guidelines for operation are follows.
Highly profitable and feasible without considering fertilizer, feeds and mineralized water benefits.
Source:http://bioapplications.blogspot.com/2008/02/biogas-technology-in-nigeriafor-africa.html
