Biogas System
Biogas is a renewable source of methane gas, created when organic matter breaks down in an oxygen-free environment. This biological process is referred to as Anaerobic Digestion (AD). The main component of biogas is methane, also the key component of natural gas.
Multiple Energy Applications of Biogas
Multiple Energy Applications of Biogas
- Fuel combustion engines to turn a generator, producing electricity and heat (“CHP”)
- Provide multiple point sources of distributed energy generation on Ontario’s hydro grid, reducing line losses and increasing service stability
- Fuel a boiler or a chiller, reducing fossil fuel consumption and emissions
- Upgrade to Renewable Natural Gas (RNG) for injection into the natural gas grid, delivering “green” renewable energy through existing infrastructure
- Renewable sources of pipeline natural gas requiring no drilling and associated ground water source threats
- Biogas-sourced RNG can be compressed for use as a transportation fuel, or as a direct replacement of fossil-sourced natural gas in household heating, or industrial, commercial and institutional processes.
Benefits
Whether anaerobic digestion is applied on farms, landfills, or municipal wastewater treatment facilities, biogas provides multiple value added benefits.
Agricultural
Anaerobic digestion of livestock manure and organic food residuals provides security to the agricultural/ food sector. Several benefits include:
- financial diversification and risk mitigation through energy sales
- addressing societal concerns about pathogens and odours
- implementing strong nutrient management practices
- supporting local processing of agricultural production
- providing a sustainable, cost effective solution which addresses the increasing waste disposal burden confronted by food processers
- creating an enhanced fertilizer for crops by recovering nutrients in organic materials
- reducing commercial fertilizer requirements and costs
Economic
The green economy benefits of biogas are considerable and include:
- local job creation in technical, manufacturing and construction/trades
- economic development generating billions of dollars of investment in rural communities
- development of a domestic biofuel and related service industries
- creation of useful by-products from wastes, acting as a significant economic multiplier
- an emerging technology that allows for research, innovation and engagement of youth
Energy
Energy
As a source of renewable energy, biogas has unique characteristics and offers many energy end uses. Biogas can
- generate reliable, flexible power 24/7
- manage intermittent renewable power supply through means of storage and flexible power
- improve/support local infrastructure and power quality
- be used to produce electricity and heat (combined heat and power - CHP)
- fuel a boiler or chiller
- upgrade to renewable natural gas (RNG) for injection into the natural gas grid, delivering ‘green’ renewable energy through existing infrastructure
- be compressed for use as transportation fuel, or direct replacement of fossil-sourced natural gas in household heating, or industrial, commercial and institutional processes
Environmental
Environmental
The environmental benefits of biogas are numerous.
- virtually eliminate pathogen load and reducing the risk of nitrogen and phosphorous leaching, thus reducing contamination of water sources
- eliminate pest larvae, reducing pesticide use
- control weed seed germination, reducing herbicide use
- remove odour-causing compounds
- capture and use of methane, a greenhouse gas 21 times worse than CO2
- convert high energy waste streams into fuel, diverting them from landfill
Biogas Experience
Today in Canada, there are well over 100 operating biogas projects generating renewable electricity and heat, and close to a dozen RNG facilities across Canada. The map of Canadian biogas projects illustrates the cluster of biogas development producing either electricity or RNG which are predominately located in BC, Ontario and Quebec, and the variety of projects developed by farmers, municipalities and commercial private sector entities.
Biogas delivers energy when Canadians need it. Biogas is flexible, renewable power that can interface uniquely with a diverse energy mix. Biogas generates energy independent of weather and can produce renewable electricity or be stored in existing natural gas infrastructure, for generation at combined heat and power hosts. RNG can be produced to meet all of the technical standards and requirements of conventional natural gas, and therefore offers the same degree of versatility, at the same time as using existing infrastructure and avoiding stranded assets within Canadian communities. These investments can leverage existing infrastructure and storage capabilities and create lower-carbon, resilient energy systems.
Biogas Potential
The production of Canadian biogas from all major sources – agricultural organics (excluding energy crops), landfill gas, residential and commercial source separated organics, and municipal wastewater – is equivalent to 3% of Canada’s natural gas demand or 2,420 million m3 per year of renewable natural gas. This represents up to 810MW of electricity and 1.3% of Canada’s electricity demand.
Biogas is a clean-tech solution that continues to offer innovation to the agricultural, municipal and waste management sectors. Biogas technologies can develop in a small footprint, and function compatibly with existing operations. Biogas offers economic and social stimulus to Canadians and plays important roles in local communities, including investment in innovation, advancement in clean technologies, engagement of youth, and job creation. The required components and services are available across Canada. Biogas production generates diverse revenue streams for farms, industries and municipalities, creates new jobs in the green economy and offers attractive investment opportunities.
Realizing the full potential of biogas development can lead to 1,800 separate construction projects with a capital investment of $7 billion and economic spin-off of $21 billion to the Canadian economy; close to 17,000 construction jobs for a period of one year, and 2,650 on-going long term operational jobs, and; 100 new and expanded Canadian companies, including biogas system designers and developers, equipment suppliers, and laboratories.
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