![Learn the key terms in the biogas industry! Glossary of biogas, part 1/2 [A-K]](https://biovoima.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/Suomen-Biovoima_Biokaasu_sanasto_A-K_header.jpg)
GPA, BAT, FSA, CHP, CBG... The language of biogas professionals is full of dozens of terms and acronyms that may not be immediately obvious to anyone interested. Learn the key terms and keep up with the terminology of the bioenergy industry. Below is a list of terms and abbreviations in alphabetical order.
Absorption is the process whereby a substance is absorbed into another substance (liquid, gas or solid).
Adsorption is the process by which a gaseous substance or liquid is attached to or absorbed into the surface of a solid. An activated carbon filter is an example of the beneficial use of adsorption. Also PSA technology is based on pressure swing adsorption, where the adsorbent binds carbon dioxide in the raw gas at one pressure and releases it at another. It is one of the gas processing techniques.
Acid-free, functional in anoxic conditions. Biogas production takes place in an anaerobic reactor, i.e. microbes eat organic waste under anaerobic conditions.
In order to protect the environment, the BAT principle requires the use of the best available techniques for the environment in the different stages of the biogas process. BAT is mentioned in the Environmental Protection Act (5 §) and is required to be taken into account in the environmental permit.
An organic substance that can be used, for example, in energy production. In other words, biomass is the feed that is processed in a biogas plant to produce biogas.
CBG (Compressed Biogas). CNG (Compressed Natural Gas). When used as a transport fuel, biogas or natural gas must be pressurise up to 200 bar before refuelling the vehicle.
Often CNG or just transport gas is used as a generic term for gas to be filled into the vehicle without specifying whether it is biogas or natural gas. The use of natural gas (CNG) as transport fuel reduces CO2 emissions by about 251 TP4T compared to petrol, while the use of biogas (CBG) reduces greenhouse gas emissions by about 851 TP4T.
Combined heat and power generation using biogas, natural gas or landfill gas. Cogeneration achieves higher energy savings than separate production. efficiencies (up to over 85%), meaning that the fuels needed for production can be used more efficiently.
A contract between a raw material producer and a processor for the supply of raw material. A steady supply of organic raw materials is essentially the basis for the optimal operation of a biogas plant. If there is a lack of raw materials or not enough of them for the optimal operation of the plant, the biogas cannot be produced as intended. This makes it difficult to estimate revenues and profitability can suffer. Therefore, the supply of feedstock must be secured through a long-term supply contract.
A long-term purchase agreement, typically where the gas network company agrees to buy a certain amount of gas from a gas producer at the contract price for a period of, say, 10-20 years. In a biogas project, a gas purchase agreement makes the project profitable by ensuring a steady revenue stream and providing financial security.
The first stage of anaerobic digestion, which is carried out by enzymes produced by bacteria. Bacterial enzymes break down complex organic substances (such as carbohydrates, proteins and fats) into sugars, amino acids and fatty acids.
Legislation-compliant one-hour heat treatment to destroy harmful bacteria at +70°C. Hygienisation kills most pathogens such as salmonella and coliform bacteria. If the end product of a biogas plant, the treatment residue, is used commercially, for example as fertiliser, the law requires the material used in the reactor to be hygienised.
Inhibitors that cause a slowdown in microbial activity (i.e. a decrease in methane production) or, in the worst case, stop the whole digestion process. For example, ammonia (e.g. in chicken manure), hydrogen sulphide from sulphate reduction and some metals are methane production inhibitors. Inhibitors can be prevented by avoiding overloading the process and by diluting the feed material with non-inhibiting materials.
The treatment of waste on an industrial scale in order to reduce its harmfulness, facilitate its treatment or improve its recovery. Biogas project pre-treatment equipment separates non-biodegradable waste such as packaging plastic, glass, sand and metal from the waste mixture and crushes the biomass to a more uniform composition.
Law on the promotion of biofuels in transport. Obliges transport fuel distributors to supply a minimum annual quantity of biofuels for consumption. In other words, it obliges companies selling fuel to blend more and more biofuels with petrol and diesel every year. In 2020, the EU's renewable energy obligation for the transport sector will be 10 %. In Finland, the biofuel distribution obligation is 20 % for both diesel and petrol.
Gas which has been treated for transport or other purposes of compression, liquefaction or injection into a gas network by reducing the impurities contained in the raw gas. Carbon dioxide and sulphur compounds and siloxanes are removed, e.g. by driving them through the use of pollutant-binding gas processing unit through activated carbon filters.
All gas fed into Finland's national gas network is refined: natural gas is refined in Russia and biogas is refined in Finland.
A generic term for the techniques used to enrich the methane content of biogas. The main purpose of upgrading techniques is to separate carbon dioxide, the second most common gas in biogas, from biogas and convert it into pure biomethane. Processing technologies include physical absorption (water scrubbing, chemical scrubbing), chemical absorption (amine scrubbing), physical adsorption (PSA technology), membrane processing (membrane technology) and cryogenic processing.
Waste incineration, where municipal and other waste the energy content is converted into heat and/or electricity. In Finland, heat is utilised in particular in the district heating network. Only waste that cannot be recovered as a material is sent for incineration.
The power at which an installation can (at its maximum) produce or consume energy.
Aerobic degradation of solid organic waste material by microbes under controlled conditions. Composting is a convenient way to treat organic waste in your own yard, following the instructions provided by composter manufacturers.
One of the techniques used in biogas processing that exploits the different boiling points of the compounds in the biogas. The refined gas from the process is liquid biomethane (LBG). A by-product is also liquefied carbon dioxide, which can be used, for example, as a refrigerant for refrigerated trucks.
Treatment process for fractions with high dry solids content (TS > 15 %). In a biogas project, the high loadability of the dry process ensures high plant availability and gas yield per reactor cube. Dry digestion also allows the handling of challenging feedstocks in the biogas process, as it is less sensitive to contaminants than the wet process, where they can cause flocculation and sedimentation challenges.
Residue from raw materials in biogas production. The residue from biogas plant processing has significant value as a fertiliser material. The treatment residue can be utilised as such, or the dry fraction can be pelletised and the liquid fraction further enriched, for example. The use of the treatment residue as fertiliser (and its organic status) depends on the biogas plant feedstock and local legislation in each country.
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