Effectiveness of Biogas Power Plant Transformation into Biomethane Production

摘要

The efficiency of biomass utilization in a biogas plant, where there is no possibility of using the heat generated by the cogeneration unit, is relatively low and most of the biomass energy content is lost unproductively. One of the ways to increase the efficiency of biomass utilization is to supplement the biogas plant with a technology for upgrading biogas to the quality of natural gas (biomethane production). This almost double the efficiency of biomass use. The paper presents a methodology for evaluating the transformation efficiency of a biogas plant to a biomethane plant in the half of the expected life of a biogas plant. The methodology for calculating the minimum price for biomethane to have an economic incentive for the operator to switch to biomethane production is based on the equality of IRR values for the continuation of the biogas station and for the transformation into biomethane production. For the typical technical and economic parameters of both technologies and for the conditions of support for electricity production in biogas stations, the minimum price of biomethane is based on approx. CZK 21.3/m~3.