THE POTENTIAL OF BIOMETHANE AS A TRANSPORT FUEL IN IRELAND

摘要

The Renewables Directive 2009/28/EC sets a target of 20% of the energy across Europe to berenewable by 2020. This includes 10% of the energy utilised in the transport sector [1]. From an Irish perspectiverenewable energy supplies need to account for 16% of the energy sector and 10% of energy in transport sector by2020 [2]. Ireland however, has set its own targets. It is believed that 3% of the energy utilised in the transport sector can be renewable energy by 2010, however as of 2009 approximately 1.4% of the energy in this sector is renewable deeming the 2010 target to be unrealistic at this stage. The purpose of this work is to determine the potential of biomethane as a gaseous transport fuel in Ireland. Various feedstocks can be used for biomethane production. Biodegradable municipal waste (BMW) and energy crops such as grass silage are investigated as potential feedstocks for the production of biomethane [3]. Two facility sizes are compared for the treatment of BMW and a land area of875 hectares is investigated for various crop rotations. The optimum biomethane strategy for BMW treatment is acombined approach utilising the two facility sizes. A total of eighteen potential facilities can be utilised treating1,545,000 tonnes of BMW pa and producing 151,518,071m~3 of biomethane which is capable of fuelling 125,312 cars,creating a potential profit of €202.95 million. Grass silage is the chosen energy crop as it has, a high biogasproduction rate of 0.953m~3/kgVS, has a high yield of 75.9t/ha total matter (16.7tDM/ha) and a methane content of54% [adapted from 4].