Balticsea 2020

Best Available Technologies for Pig Manure Biogas Plants in the Baltic Sea Region

The project is part of the 10-year program: IPP Program – measures for reduced nutrient leaking from intensive animal production

Background
In a previous study "Best available technologies for manure treatment", Foged 2010, digestion, separation and effective phosphorus management were identified as effective techniques for reducing leakage of nitrogen and phosphorus from intensive animal production. Not least because the nitrogen becomes more accessible to the crop but also in addition the separation process makes it possible to transport the excess of phosphorus in areas where phosphorus fertilizer is needed.
In 2009 this follow-up study was commenced, to identify the best and most cost-effective techniques for manure handling from stables to the farmland, including digestion and separation. This study "Best Available Technologies for Pig Manure Biogas Plants in the Baltic Sea Region" was carried out by Knud Tybirk, Agrobusiness Park in Denmark, in collaboration with researchers from Agrotech (Denmark), JTI (Sweden) and MTT (Finland). Various solutions to maximize biogas production, reduce emissions to water and air and produce a nutrient rich digestate is analyzed. The use of biogas has also been studied.

The conclusion from this study is that anaerobic digestion of manure in combination with separation and optimum storage and spreading of manure benefits not only the environment, but also the society and the pig producers:

•  The farmer / biogas producer - gets an improved bio-fertilizer, reduced costs for heating and a new source of income.
•  Society - becomes less dependent on fossil fuels, can reuse the nutrients and avoid problems with bad odors from the nearby pig farms.
•  The environment – will get lower greenhouse gas emissions and less amount of nutrient leaching of nitrogen and phosphorus.

The optimal technology solution is determined by local conditions, such as size and number of pig farms in the area, access to electricity / gas and financial instruments, etc. The project report contains a comprehensive review of existing techniques regarding pre-and post-treatment of manure, anaerobic digestion technologies, separation, storage, distribution, etc., and provides general recommendations on how to optimize environmental benefits and biogas production from pig manure.