A Possibility of Functioning Biogas Plant at a Poultry Farm

The biogas production constitutes one of renewable energy sources (RES) . In addition, wastes are preferred for energy production. In the case of some wastes, e.g. poultry manure, it is difficult to conduct anaerobic digestion in monofermentation. The aim of this work was to plan the biogas plant, in which the main substrate is the waste from a poultry farm. The scope of work included: preparation of a biogas plant technological project, determining the amount of biogas and methane that can be produced annually on the example of the selected poultry farm, performing the energy and financial calculations for the current conditions prevailing on the renewable energy market in Poland. The installation project assumed the location of a biogas plant at an existing poultry farm – the source of the substrate. The micro-biogas plant includes a fermentation tank with a capacity of 500 m3 and storage of digestate pulp with a capacity of 700 m3. The assumed power biogas plant will generate 112 kW of electricity and 120 kW of heat. The installation will operate in a single-stage mesophilic technology (39ºC), which will avoid incurring additional costs related to heating and the construction of additional fermentation tanks. The use of poultry manure by anaerobic digestion provides benefits through biogas technology. It is necessary to examine the technology in terms of biogas production, which is carried out under better sanitary and environmental conditions. This work was undertaken to investigate the environmentally friendly removal of poultry manure through biogas technology to obtain the best economic effect, and employ it further, e.g. as a fertilizer.