RDI projects
RDI projects
#savoniaAMK
Project Information |  |
| Name | Towards decentralised biogas production from dairy farms at Pohjois-Savo II |
| Start | 1.6.2021 |
| End | 31.8.2023 |
| Website | - |
| Status | Ended |
| Contact | Salla Ruuska |
| Description | Finland is ambitiously aiming for growing biogas production and more efficient nutrient recycling. The greatest additional potential in biogas production is in agricultural biomass, including livestock manure and various plant biomasses. Manure is also the most important biomass for nutrient recycling. In Pohjois-Savo region, the most significant biomasses that can be used for biogas production are in agriculture. Manure from strong dairy production and by-products from crop production can enable significant biogas production and increase the use of nutrients locally and regionally. According to the final report of the working group preparing the national biogas program set by the Ministry of Employment and the Economy (28 January 2020), the most significant challenges for the development of the biogas sector are related to low profitability. Profitability bottlenecks include high investment costs, the underdevelopment of the market forbiogas (especially for transport and industrial use) and digestate or processed fertilizers, and thus the low price in relation to production costs, and the conflict between the costs and benefits of utilizing agricultural biomass. In a jointly owned biogas facility, profitability can be found in co-operation when the investment cost is shared between several actors.
This project will create a techno-economic and sustainable operating concept in Pohjois-Savo, where biogas production and digestion utilization will take place decentrally on farms or in small joint biogas plants of less than 20,000 t / y, but the energy will be utilized centrally as either compressed biogas (CBG) or liquid biogas (LBG). The scenarios to be made in the project are the groundwork for the actual investment pilot for farm biogas plants in 2022-2025. The main aim will be a financial viability at farm level. The project will also test and demonstrate manure-based solutions which can replace peat as cattle bedding material. With these solutions, cattle farms may become more profitable, self-sufficient and more environmentally friendly. Previously, separated solids of cattle slurry have been studied in only few projects and are continuously used as a main bedding material on a couple of farms in Finland. The hygiene, adequacy and usability of the solid fraction can be improved by processing it and/or by using additives. In this project, effect of biogas process on the hygiene and usability will be tested: a bedding test with the separated solids of biogas plant digestate will be conducted in Luke’s research barn. Also, additives to be tested/demonstrated as supplements of slurry solids and digestate solids include e.g. reed canary grass, fiber sludge, field spreadable ash and biochar. In addition, willow will be tested as a part of deep litter system. Willow could be grown e.g. in decommissioned peat fields. |
| Partners | Luonnonvarakeskuksen ja Savonia-ammattikorkeakoulun toteuttamaa hanketta rahoittaa Euroopan unionin aluekehitysrahasto Pohjois-Savon liiton kautta. Mukana kehitystyössä ovat myös Kiuruvesi, Kuopio, Iisalmi, Vieremä, Pielavesi, Lapinlahti, Sonkajärvi ja Siilinjärvi sekä?Valio Oy, MTK Pohjois-Savo, SKAL Itä-Suomi ry, Savon Voima ja Stora Enso. |
| Funded by | EAKR Flat Rate 2014-2020 |