title: Comparative life cycle assessment of biogas plant configurations for a demand oriented biogas supply for flexible power generation.
abstract: The environmental performance of biogas plant configurations for a demand - oriented biogas supply for flexible power generation is comparatively assessed in this study. Those configurations indicate an increased energy demand to operate the operational enhancements compared to conventional biogas plants supplying biogas for baseload power generation. However, findings show that in contrast to an alternative supply of power generators with natural gas, biogas supplied on demand by adapted biogas plant configurations saves greenhouse gas emissions by 54-65 g CO(2-eq) MJ(-1) and primary energy by about 1.17 MJ MJ(-1). In this regard, configurations with flexible biogas production profit from reduced biogas storage requirements and achieve higher savings compared to configurations with continuous biogas production. Using thicker biogas storage sheeting material reduces the methane permeability of up to 6m(3) d(-1) which equals a reduction of 8% of the configuration's total methane emissions.
authors.affiliation: Fraunhofer Institute for Wind Energy and Energy System Technology (IWES), Division Bioenergy System Technology, Königstor 59, D-34119 Kassel, Germany. Electronic address: Henning.Hahn@iwes.fraunhofer.de.
authors.forename: Henning
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Hahn
authors.affiliation: Department of Engineering Science, University of Applied Sciences Aschaffenburg, Würzburger Str. 45, D-63743 Aschaffenburg, Germany.
authors.forename: Kilian
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Hartmann
authors.affiliation: Department of Grassland Science and Renewable Plant Resources, University of Kassel, Steinstr. 19, D-37213 Witzenhausen, Germany.
authors.forename: Lutz
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Bühle
authors.affiliation: Department of Grassland Science and Renewable Plant Resources, University of Kassel, Steinstr. 19, D-37213 Witzenhausen, Germany.
authors.forename: Michael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Wachendorf
mesh_terms: D000143:Acids / Q000737:chemistry; D000475:Alkenes / Q000737:chemistry; D000641:Ammonia / Q000032:analysis; D056804:Biofuels; D018533:Biomass; D002244:Carbon / Q000032:analysis; D004560:Electricity; D005030:Ethylenes / Q000737:chemistry; D005068:Eutrophication; D017752:Greenhouse Effect; D009609:Nitrous Oxide / Q000032:analysis; D009930:Organic Chemicals / Q000032:analysis; D013816:Thermodynamics
chemical_list: D000143:Acids; D000475:Alkenes; D056804:Biofuels; D005030:Ethylenes; D009930:Organic Chemicals; D002244:Carbon; D000641:Ammonia; C036216:ethylene; C013658:propylene; D009609:Nitrous Oxide
keywords: Biogas; Biogas plant configuration; Energy supply system; Flexible power generation; Life cycle assessment