Despite big expansion of biogas plants in the world, does not have the levels in the Swedish market succeeded very good. Presently are not so many expanded biogas plants in Sweden. Especially biogas plants that are based on rest products from the industry. This study checks the possibility and takes up the profitability in producing biogas off spill products from rape oil production. The spill product that is interesting in this case is process water with high-energy contents that currently are given away to the local farmers for fertilization of farmland.
Results from the study show that the process water in itself is not appropriate substrate for digestion in a biogas plant. On the other hand if you use an involvement corresponding 20- 25% graft in the process water can the result become really good. But to use this biogas to heat power plant or upgrading to vehicle fuel can it be unsuitable on the basis of economic calculations. This entirely depends on that production of the process water is too little and that will give a result with smaller amount biogas production. This amount will not be neither enough to be sold to other companies for upgrading or other purposes.
This problem can be solved through cooperation with the municipality’s sewage treatment or local farmers that will supply their energy needs by themselves. If the cooperation takes in force can biogas plant becomes profitable irrespective of what the biogas will be used to.
Using biogas in heat power plant to force electricity and heat with minimum 200-kilowatt gas engine can investment be profitable, regardless of if the electricity will be sold on the market or it be used internal. It is also economic to upgrade biogas to vehicle fuel with a minimum prise of 7, 5 SEK/Nm3 biogas.
Investment on biogas plant is depending on factors like interest rate, economic contribution, costs and political arrangements so. The results will be changed if the economic factors changed, for examples lower interest rate and higher economic contributions brings profitability in the investment. On the other hand higher raw materials or less economic contribution will make that the investment becomes uneconomical.