Russian Biogas Technology Offers Potential in Russian and European Markets
Russian Biogas Technology Offers Potential in Russian and European Markets
by Ian French
Ecorus biogas plant
The sweeping reforms of the Russian economy have led to many market opportunities including those now apparent in the biogas sector. Thousands of farms across the state are now seen as potential customers for these systems, where not only energy can be created but also fertilizer leading to capital repayment of investment in around six months or less.
Around 10 years ago, Ecorus, the Russian waste management centre, initially looked at developing a system for small-scale exploitation of biogas on farms. The first problem for designers was to create conditions where anaerobic digestion could take place continually, processing in a small-scale system up to 200kg of manure daily. Once stable conditions were achieved, it was just a case of applying economic principles to understand the systems' market potential. Production of gas was around 10-12m3 per day at around 60% methane at about 5,500cal m3.
This type of system would typically suit farmsteads, which have around 5 — 6 head of cattle, or the equivalent in manure production. Use of biogas for domestic, and some farm hot water is reasonably put at about 5 m3 of biogas leaving up to 7m3 for other energy use. The system also produced 200kg of fertilizers per day, which gave the farmers scope to use the processed manure and sell the rest to the open market. Importantly, under the thermophilic conditions present in the digestion process, abundant amounts of auxins — the powerful plant growth factors — were produced and it was this that gave the systems economic credibility. The manufacture of organic fertilizers thus became the driving force behind market development in Russia. With the small system producing 72 tonnes per annum, this meant that, at 2003 prices of $160 per tonne, $11,500 was made against the initial installation costs of $5,000. Larger system installations, with capital investment costs of $12,000, have been designed and are producing around 360 tonnes of fertilizer and up to $57,600 annually.
Four factories currently produce such systems and over 86 installations have been made — 79 in Russia, 4 in Kazakhstan and 3 in Belarus. Furthermore, during 1997 a Chinese-Russian joint venture was created to manufacture systems under the engineering specifications of the company.
Ecorus hopes to expand its input into its current and other country markets over the next few years, including those in Western Europe, and perhaps beyond. To accomplish this, it aims to create a joint venture type scenario ideally with an established biogas company. It believes that with the creation of an industrial-sized biopower demonstration project, market opportunities will expand significantly. However, in Russia, market rates for fuel and energy are low and under present economic conditions potential Russian customers, even though interested in what the technology has to offer, are hard-pressed to secure and repay the capital necessary to develop such an installation. In the West, market growth is expected generally within the landfill, wastewater, agriculture and industrial sectors over the next few years and opportunities will attract the many companies now catering to biogas demand across Europe. As market growth occurs the competitive situation, which currently appears fragmented, will begin to consolidate. In the meantime, many relatively small companies, including Ecorus, are working feverishly to increase their experience and expertise within the markets. Nevertheless, Ecorus has confidence in its product and the developing markets. It also expects to contribute to the advancement of biogas technologies and expects to see a reduction in fermentation periods but with higher methane yields and other benefits during biogas production processes. Furthermore, it envisages the exploitation of much higher amounts of agricultural and municipal wastes in future as the benefits of processing such materials become widely understood and existing technologies improve.
Whatever the situation over the next few years, the transfer of information and technologies between East and West should benefit the industry as a whole allowing for improved efficiencies and better economies. Such a scenario can only serve to reflect the biogas sector as one of the core renewable technologies at the end of the next decade.
13.07.2008, 4166 просмотров.
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