Juha-Pekka Snäkin: Resources use 5.4.

2006
optimization in agriculture

480428S Waste minimization and resources use optimization

Venue: University of Oulu, Department of Process and

Environmental Engineering

Date: April 5th, 2006

Course: Post-graduate course for the Graduate School in

Environmental Science and Technology (EnSTe)

Time: 12:00-13:45

Lecture: Sustainable use of natural resources - Resources use

optimization in agriculture. CASE: Technological
options of biogas production and use in a dairy farm

Juha-Pekka Snäkin, project manager (Bioenergy for farms)

Oulu Polytechnic, School of Renewable Natural Resources
Metsäkouluntie, 90650 Oulu

480428S Waste minimization and resources use optimization

Sustainable use of natural resources - Resources use optimization in agriculture.
CASE: Technological options of biogas production and use in a dairy farm

Content
1. Resources use in the Finnish agriculture – an overview
2. Scientific approaches to agro-wastes and agro-energy issues
3. Anaerobic Digestion for biogas production
4. Practical decision making aid: presentation of a biogas technology model
5. Discussion

University of Oulu, Waste minimzation

and resources use optimization course 1
Juha-Pekka Snäkin: Resources use 5.4.2006
optimization in agriculture

480428S Waste minimization and resources use optimization

Environment, resources
Overall background - sustainability
Entrepreneurship,
- locality
Agricultural Policy living trades
- wastes
NEW Energy Policy
- nutrients
- investments
Rural Policy - grants
OPERATIONAL - climate
- EU CAP - innovations
ENVIRONMENT - waters
- Kyoto - pluriactivity
- odours
- regional dev. - development
Modern agriculture
- projects
faces a number of

advise
new constraints ad
and requirements vis

e
e

vis
ad
Farmer

advise
Developing the decision
making support
SOLUTION? Energy literature
BIOENERGY
Bioenergies will - national/international goals
Energy analysis tools
provide farmers - climate strategy R&D
one way to survive - price of imported energy Information sharing
with these new - availability of energy
- emissions trading
pressures - line of business
- waste management

480428S Waste minimization and resources use optimization

1. Resources use in the Finnish agriculture – an overview

Agricultural resources use – three viewpoints 1):
1) Land use patterns of agriculture
2) Efficiency of resources use
3) Energy efficiency

1) Land use
- basic indicator for SD, land use changes reflect the overall development of agriculture
- 2400 000 ha agricultural land in Finland (ca. 8 % of the total area), decreasing
- non-food production: so far less than 1 % (fibres, oils, starch, energy plants, etc.)
- land use changes in the future?

1) Source: http://www.mmm.fi/mittarit/maatalous/resurssien_kaytto.html

University of Oulu, Waste minimzation

and resources use optimization course 2
Juha-Pekka Snäkin: Resources use 5.4.2006
optimization in agriculture

480428S Waste minimization and resources use optimization

2) Efficiency of resources use (crops)

- since 1970s, e.g grain harvests have increased 150 %
- up to 1980s, farming inputs have grown together with harvest (fertilisers, pesticides, lime
etc.)
- since then the use of these farming inputs have been decreasing
Wastes in agriculture 1)
- agro-wastes ca. 23 x 106 tonnes/a
- out of which 19 x 106 tonnes/a is manure (sludges or slurries from livestock)
- out of which 4 x 106 tonnes/a are straws
Major problem: methane (CH4) emissions of organic matter in anaerobic conditions
Methane emissions depend on:
- amount of sludge, aerobic conditions
- manure treatment procedure (storage, aeration, composting (reactor, windrow),
anaerobic digestion (AD)
- climate, temperature, rainfall Questions: Other sources of wastes in agriculture?

1) Source: Impact of waste management alternatives on GHG emissions.

http://virtual.vtt.fi/inf/pdf/julkaisut/1996/J811.pdf

480428S Waste minimization and resources use optimization

3) Energy efficiency
- agricultural sector: 2 % of the total energy consumption in Finland
- energy efficiency (=amount of energy/produced crops) has not improved 1970 – 1990
- since 1990s, some improvement in energy efficiency

Major problem: dependency on imported fossil energy

- direct use of fossil energy (oil): used for space heating, drying of grain, machinery
- consumption of electricity is high in certain lines of agriculture
- indirect use of fossil energy as inputs in production chains and transport

Major opportunities: The bulk of the domestic, local and renewable sources of energy
are found from the agriculture and rural areas (>>> 2 % mentioned earlier)

University of Oulu, Waste minimzation

and resources use optimization course 3
Juha-Pekka Snäkin: Resources use 5.4.2006
optimization in agriculture

480428S Waste minimization and resources use optimization

Technological options for farm-based bioenergy resources

ENERGY CONVERSION TO ANAEROBIC ESTERIFICATION,

HEAT AND POWER DIGESTION FERMENTATION,
combustion of biomass fuels combustion of biogas THERMAL GASIFICATION
combustion of biodiesel,
ethanol, hydrogen
heat CHP heat
farm station plant others farm station others farm others
PRIMARY

power

power
power
power

power

power
heat

power
heat

power
heat

heat

power
heat
transp.
heat

transp.
heat
transp.

heat

heat
transp.
ENERGY
SOURCE

Farm resources
forest chips (●) ● ● ● ● (●) ● (●) (●) (●) (●) (●) (●)
billets ● ●
stumps ● ● ● ● ●
straw (●) ● ● ● ●
reed canary grass ● ● ● ● ● (●) ● ● ●
energy grain (●) ● ● ● ● (●) ● ● ●
oil plants (●) ● (●) ● ● ● ● ● ● ● (●) ● ● (●) ● ●
other agrobiomasses ● ● ● ● ● ●
sludges ● ● ● ● ● ●
biowastes ● ● ● ● ● ●
Income generation
biowastes ● ● ● ● ● ●

Questions: What energy sources are missing? What technologies are available on farms?

480428S Waste minimization and resources use optimization

2. Scientific approaches to agro-wastes and agro-energy issues

New approaches: Industrial Ecology (IE) and agriculture

● aiming at holistic approaches
● striving for roundput material flows instead throughput ones
● -> aiming at using waste materials and energy flows
● using the anchor tenant approach
● aiming at environmental, economic and social wins in agriculture
● Industrial ecosystem:
DRIL- dimensions (by Korhonen) = diversity, roundput, interdependency, locality
A case 1) study: Integrated waste management, energy and fertiliser production.
The anchor unit supporting the agrofood roundput system
In the study, four manure treatment procedures were compared (manure storage,
aeration, composting (reactor, windrow) and anaerobic digestion (AD).

1) Source: Niutanen, V. 2005. Industrial ecosystem case studies. The Potential of Material and
Energy Flow Roundput in Regional Waste Management.
http://joypub.joensuu.fi/publications/dissertations/niutanen_ecosystem/niutanen.pdf

University of Oulu, Waste minimzation

and resources use optimization course 4
Juha-Pekka Snäkin: Resources use 5.4.2006
optimization in agriculture

480428S Waste minimization and resources use optimization

The model: manure management

scenarios

Phosphorus (P) can not be spread in

excess (there is a maximum limit of manure
that can be spread per hectare and it is
ruled by the amount of P).

The amount of phosphorus remains the

same in every waste treatment technique.

Nitrogen (N) may transform into a fugitive

form depending on technique.

The proper growth of e.g grain yet requires

a certain minimum amount of available
nitrogen Æ the shortage must be
compensated using industrial or other
additional fertilisers.

1) Source: Niutanen, V. 2005. Industrial ecosystem case studies

Results 1)

1) Source: Niutanen, V. 2005. Industrial ecosystem case studies

University of Oulu, Waste minimzation

and resources use optimization course 5
Juha-Pekka Snäkin: Resources use 5.4.2006
optimization in agriculture

480428S Waste minimization and resources use optimization

Results 1) of environmental scenario (page 18)

Table 2 (previous page) shows the differences in CO2-balances of different manure treatment
technologies.

The only technology, which is able to perform a negative CO2 balance, is the anaerobic
digestion technology (AD).

This is mainly because of the possibility to produce, instead of consume energy by using the
renewable biomass, i.e. manure, as a fuel in anaerobic digestion and substitute the non-
renewable fossil fuels with this locally available alternative.

Anaerobic digestion technology seems to be in line with the roundput-type material and energy
flow model when presented in terms of our criteria of energy efficiency and emission intensity.

It is able to use the energy value in wastes (manure) and it is able to recover the maximum
amount of nutrients from the treated manure for using these as valuable nutrients.

The other three technologies... are not able to produce energy nor are they as efficient in
fertiliser recovery as anaerobic digestion.

1) Source: Niutanen, V. 2005. Industrial ecosystem case studies

480428S Waste minimization and resources use optimization

Sources of some practical agricultural data

The European Commissions BAT reference document Source:

http://eippcb.jrc.es/pages/FActivities.htm (European Integrated Pollution Prevention
Bureau, IPPC Bureau)

University of Oulu, Waste minimzation

and resources use optimization course 6
Juha-Pekka Snäkin: Resources use 5.4.2006
optimization in agriculture

480428S Waste minimization and resources use optimization

6.5 Suggested topics for future R&D projects (page 340) ;-) 1)
The following topics might be considered for future Research and Development projects: research on what techniques are available and which are most
reliable in monitoring gas concentrations in buildings with housing systems for pigs and poultry, research on measuring emission rates, especially from
naturally ventilated buildings (which has proven to be difficult so far) research on covering solid manure heaps, including testing different types of
covering material, the associated emission reduction, cost and applicability research on the effect of litter on the performance of (existing) housing
systems for pigs in many cases the effects on human or animal health or other environmental effects by using additives in pig slurry are not known;
research on this topic might be useful research on measurement of ammonia and odour emissions from biological animal housing systems (use of
straw, exercise yards) development of measurement systems and strategies for complex sources of gaseous emissions on farm level (houses,
storages) development of a measurement technique for N2-emissions from straw bed systems research on monitoring of gaseous emissions from
farming systems with improved/advanced nutrient management where solid manure storage is concerned, determining the liberation levels of methane
and nitrous oxide. On the pig farming side, the most cost-efficient measures to reduce ammonia liberation levels and odour emissions come in the form
of artificial floating-lid covers. Here again, more research is needed into the behaviour of climate-effective gases. development of a trace gas based
system for measurement of gaseous emissions from covered slurry storages assessment of gaseous emission, including mitigation options, from
storage and handling solid wastes/Farm Yard Manure research and development towards reduced emissions of ammonia and methane during storage,
transport and application of animal slurries Life Cycle Analysis of gaseous N-losses in ‘traditional’ and ‘future’ farming systems research on
sustainable farming (monitoring, management tools) research on odour abatement through management (diets, climatisation, etc.) research on the
impact of farm-surrounding trees on the perception of odour nuisance by neighbouring residents research on the dust component in odour nuisance
research on distribution of dust emitted by straw and litter based animal housing systems, including options for reduction by management and
technology research and development of process models for ammonia emissions (housing, storage, land application) as a basis for the assessment of
ammonia emission, concentration and deposition research on animal nutrition related monitoring (e.g. manure composition) to reduce ammonia
emissions research on solid manure treatment (e.g. composting, straw addition, anaerobic digestion) and the associated emission rates of NH3, N2O
and CH4 research on slurry treatment (e.g. separation, straw cover, anaerobic digestion) and the associated emission rates of NH3, N2O and CH4
research on the effect of litter on the performance of (existing) housing systems for pigs, optimising design and performance of littered systems for pigs
(emission level, work rate, costs) research on litter for animal housing, especially on new/other materials for improving environmental performances of
littered systems optimising design and performance of alternative systems for poultry (emission level, work rate, costs) research on the applicability of
low emission slurry spreading techniques under different circumstances research on cross media effects and the applicability of slurry injection (N2O
emissions, fuel consumption, impacts on soils and vegetation) research on emission levels, not only on ammonia but on odour, climate-impacting
gases (methane and nitrous oxide), and on what reciprocal influences they may exercise under various emission-reducing measures, as well as on the
subject of dust and germ (bioaerosol) emissions with a view to requirements regarding both pig and laying bird management regimes compatible with
animals' natural needs, more emission-reducing housing systems must be researched and the technological development of reducing emission levels
needs to be improved so that the target conflict between animal and environment protection can be resolved.

-> Plenty of research needs...

1) Source: IPPC Reference document on Best Available Techniques for intensive rearing of poultry and pigs.

480428S Waste minimization and resources use optimization

3. Anaerobic Digestion for biogas production

Background:
- In Finland we have only 10 - 15 AD plants on farms (Germany: > 2000)
Specific practical problems related to AD technology
1) expensive (≈ 100.000 - 300.000 €)
2) difficult to run the AD -process (instable biological process)
3) using some energy-rich feeding materials is normatively difficult (animal
origin, foodstuffs)
General policy type problems related to AD technology in Finland
1) Governmental bioenergy support and advice services are poor
2) Grants and investment possibilities are inconsistent regionally
3) Legislation is somewhat preventing the use of wastes for AD
4) Old fashioned energy policies, energy ’elite’ still stick to large scale
(nuclear etc.) investments, decentralised and small-scale ventures are not
favoured

University of Oulu, Waste minimzation

and resources use optimization course 7
Juha-Pekka Snäkin: Resources use 5.4.2006
optimization in agriculture

480428S Waste minimization and resources use optimization

4. Practical decision making aid: presentation of a biogas technology model

Techno-economic options for producing-using biogas energy

1) Heat production
- low investment, easy technology, heat useless at summer
2) Combined heat and power production
- expensive, power prices have gone up, yet difficult to sell the power via grid
3) Reverse osmosis = extracting excess water after AD (plus option 1 above)
- expensive, good quality slurry reject (nutrients), saves the arable land from compacting by tractor,
saves water, saves transport costs, new technology somewhat unknown in Finland
4) Transport fuel production
- expensive, must invest on bi-fuel vehicles, considerable savings of transport fuel costs in a long
term, potential business possibilities

480428S Waste minimization and resources use optimization

4. Practical decision making aid: presentation of a biogas technology model

Techno-economic options for producing-using biogas energy

5) Mesophil process
- more expensive but more stable, need extra investment on a hygiene unit (if use animal rejects)

6) Thermophile process
- less expensive, but more instable, does hygiene some input feeds

7) Plain sludge as a raw material

- low energy content, no need for hygiene unit, no extra income involved (unless take extra sludges
from neigbours etc.)

8) Input feeds from outside farm

- high energy content input feeds available, usually need a hygiene unit, extra income involved (gate
fees), expensive, legislation, extra planning, the size of the AD reactor bigger

University of Oulu, Waste minimzation

and resources use optimization course 8
Juha-Pekka Snäkin: Resources use 5.4.2006
optimization in agriculture

480428S Waste minimization and resources use optimization

4. Practical decision making aid: presentation of a biogas technology model

The biogas technology model description

Technical input data

● 2 annual energy figures for a dairy farm (MWh of heat, MWh of power)
● 3 input feed combinations (plain slurry, fatty substance, green biomass plus their
combinations)
● 2 reactor/process combinations (mesophil and thermophile processes)
● 1 heat technology
● 1 CHP technology
● 1 RO technology
● 1 Bi-fuel technology

-> 2 reactor technologies x 3 input feed combinations x 4 basic technical choices (heat,
CHP, RO, Bi-fuel) = 24 technical energy chains for comparisons

Other input data

● biogas data of various inputs, additional energy needs (pumps etc.)
● prices of heat, power and transport fuel (if sold or substituted by own energy)
● cost of technologies mentioned in above paragraph
● other monetary benefits of using AD technologies
● interest rate (4,5%)

University of Oulu, Waste minimzation

and resources use optimization course 9