Use of G-phase for biogas production

Biogas is very promising renewable energy resource. The number of biogas plants increase every year. Currently there is a demand for new ways of organic waste treatment from production of different commodities. One of the technologies which produce waste is biodiesel production. One of the wastes from the biodiesel production is G-phase which is mainly consisted from glycerol and methanol. The aim of work was to find the effect of G-phase addition, to fermented material, on biogas resp. methane production. Two lab-scale batch anaerobic fermentation tests (hydraulic retention time 14 and 22 days) under mesophilic temperature conditions 38.5 °C have been performed. The positive effect of G-phase addition to methane production has been found. G-phase was added in three different amounts of inoculums volume 0.5 %, 1% and 1.5 %. The highest absolute methane production has been achieved by 1.5 % addition of G-phase. However it was also found difference in specific methane production due to use of different inoculum consisted of swine or cow manure. The specific methane production in hydraulic retention time of 14 days has been for the same G-phase dose 1.5 % higher for swine manure, 0.547 m3∙kg−1 of organics solids compare with cow liquid manure 0.474 m3∙kg−1 of organics solids.