The second webinar from the ALFA project webinars series focused on waste to energy topic. The event provided an in-depth exploration of biogas plants opportunities and challenges; insights into biodegradable waste processing technologies, and practical examples of utilizing biowaste as biogas plants’ feedstock.

Main presentations and findings

INTRODUCING ALFA PROJECT CURRENT ACTIVITIES

The webinar kicked-off with an overview of objectives, current activities, and updates of the ALFA initiative. Stanislava Drusková and Karolína Mendelová from PEDAL Consulting drew the attention of participants also to the call currently opened for biogas projects to apply for free business and technical support by 17. January 2024.

OPPORTUNITIES AND CHALLENEGES OF BIOGAS PLANTS

The current state and challenges of bio-waste processing in biogas plants were presented by Dávid Kančo, the Secretary General of the Slovak Biogas Association. He touched upon the following points:

• Benefits of bio-waste utilization in biogas plants, supported by the data from Slovakia.
• Analysis of various feedstocks and their biogas energy yields. The findings highlighted that bakery waste, old fats, and meat waste yield the highest biogas output.
• Identification of feedstocks suitable for biogas plants, as well as materials that are unsuitable for processing.

Dávid also emphasized the key challenges biogas plants are facing now, such as e.g.:

• The need for expanding biowaste recovery through increased biogas plant deployment.
• The financial strain of investing in advanced, more effective biogas technologies.
• Ensuring a higher cleanliness level of bio-waste entering plants.
• Addressing competition for raw materials due to EU legislation (RED II / RED III) favoring biomethane production.

TECHNOLOGICAL SOLUTIONS FOR BIODEGRADABLE WASTE

The Sales Director at agriKomp Bohemia, Ondřej Frič, dedicated his presentation to the latest technologies for biodegradable waste treatment. Highlights included:

• Current operational support for biogas plants, such as feed-in tariffs in Slovakia and the Czech Republic. Soon to end, they are posing operational challenges.
• Practical demonstrations of technologies, including dry and wet fermentation, with a focus on their advantages, disadvantages, as well as technical issues in bio-waste recovery.
• A detailed walkthrough of the bio-waste-to-biogas conversion process, accompanied by case studies from the Czech Republic. Ondřej showcased plants producing electricity and biomethane from bio-waste.

DISCUSSION HOT TOPICS

The webinar concluded with a concise yet insightful discussion. Participants and panelists debated questions such as:

• The feasibility and profitability of processing food waste, like bakery by-products, in biogas plants.
• The economic dynamics of waste processing – whether biogas plants typically pay for such materials or charge waste owners for their processing, as well as the average costs involved.
• Profitability considerations for biogas plants relying primarily on animal manure as feedstock – should they prioritize electricity or biomethane production?

Key webinars takeaways

1. Modernization of biogas plants is vital for enhancing efficiency and sustainability.
2. Cost savings can be realized by the increased use of bakery, kitchen, and restaurant waste as feedstock.
3. Biogas plants provide a long-term solution for waste collection and energy utilization.
4. A focus on flexible energy production is necessary to improve energy reliability.

Interested in all the details form the event?

Watch the recording of the webinar at the ALFA YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p9n2EJI4jgk

More on the ALFA initiative:
https://alfa-res.eu/