Energetic and financial balance on an organic waste fermentation plant situated in Heljestorp, Sweden

• Main Author: Charlot, Marie-Laure
• Format: Others
• Language: English
• Published: KTH, Industriell ekologi 2008
• Subjects: Social Sciences Interdisciplinary; Tvärvetenskapliga studier inom samhällsvetenskap
• Online Access: http://urn.kb.se/resolve?urn=urn:nbn:se:kth:diva-32845

In a context of constant increasing energy demand and growing waste discharges, an important needto find relevant solutions is obvious. These solutions consist of treating the wastes in the mostfinancially and energetically efficient way. In this thesis work, dealing with the figures concerning thewaste anaerobic digestion plant situated in Heljestorp (Sweden), the anaerobic fermentation fortreating organic wastes is discussed. In this plant organic wastes are sorted and treated in order tofinally produce biogas and different kinds of fertilizers.In this work two different methods to estimate the energy contained in the organic wastes can bedistinguished:• The first method consisted of calculating the waste Low Heating Value. This method finallyenabled also to compare two different ways for treating these organic wastes: combustion andfermentation.• Later, the estimation of the methane potential in the raw waste entering in the digesters hasbeen done and enabled to calculate the waste anaerobic digestion plant efficiency and thedigester efficiency itself. The efficiency has been found in a range between 18.8 % and 31.3 %while the digester efficiency itself was calculated to be in a range between 21.4 % and 44.5 %.This work presents also the different steps to draw up the energetic and financial balances of thisplant: boundaries determination, inventory of energy inlets and outlets, digester efficiency calculation,plant efficiency, inventory of incomes and costs, profits or losses calculation. Establishing thesebalances is necessary to conclude about the relevance of the solution considered for treating theorganic wastes.This project took place few months after the company Ragn-Sells has bought the plant which wasbefore belonging to municipal councils. Therefore, this thesis work aim is also to gather information forthe company Ragn-Sells about this organic waste fermentation plant, its efficiency, its energy inlet andoutlet, its running cost or its incomes. === Division Industrial Ecologywww.kth.se/itm/indecowww.ima.kth.se