Autumn 2023 EN

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ENGLISH ISSUE BIOGAS JOURNAL | AUTUMN_2023 Goran Knežević and Lidija Carević from the Biogas Association Serbia in the Usce Tower, where the association has its headquarters. Antje Kramer (right photo) is from the German Biogas Association on a visit to the Serbian Biogas Association in Novi Beograd, a district of Belgrade. There is a partnership between the associations, supported by the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) and the climate partnership between Germany and Serbia, which is part of the Balkan country’s preparations for EU accession. not regulated or not implemented. Like a statutory regulation for the feed-in of biomethane. Or liberalization of the electricity sector. The state-owned monopolist Elektroprivredav Sribije (EPS) still has a market share of 97 percent, even though there are more than 70 other providers. Unused Waste Material Potential Serbia achieved its share of 26 percent of renewable energies in 2021, mainly with hydropower. What part will biogas play in the next phase, 32 percent by 2030? There is definitely potential. Manure from numerous livestock farms is still untapped, although most of the farms are small-scale. Equally suitable are the wastewater and other processing residues from sugar and other food industries, as well as the annual organic fraction of 2.1 million tons from municipal solid waste. However, silage from corn or other energy crops as a substrate is facing a crisis, as demonstrated by the case of Agro Plus Energy. Global Seed in Čurug reacted to that some time ago. The way to the dairy farm leads past farmland with pitch-black soil, vast orchards and settlement villages dating back to the Habsburg era, with Orthodox and Catholic churches, wide avenues, lush green areas, and partly neoclassical house facades. Serbs, Hungarians, Slovaks, Croatians, Romanians and many other ethnic groups live in the Voijvodina region. Using the Envitec plant, Global Seed was one of the first operators of a biogas facility in Serbia a decade ago. As the self-proclaimed largest milk farm in Europe certified with the EU Organic Seal, their primary aim was to address a waste disposal issue and produce organic fertilizer for their own fields. Residual Materials instead of Corn Silage Five years later, the plant was expanded to a total of 1.27 megawatts. The contents of the large silage warehouse, however, has been reserved exclusively for the 2,000 cows for several years. Next to the warehouse, a tank truck from Esotron from Novi Sad, which disposes of, treats and sells food waste, stops to fill the tank of the biogas plant with liquid sludge from organic waste. The mixture of food waste and residual materials from sunflower and soybean production is mixed with 30 percent cow manure and pumped into the digester. “That way, we save about 30 percent of the cost of silage and don’t have to worry about organizing any logistics,” says the plant manager Konstadin Radonovic, standing under his umbrella in the courtyard. So, he can make his plans for the future without having to worry. Global Seed aspires to be among the pioneering plants engaging in biomethane processing, positioned to commence operations as the feed-in tariff for the initial plant phase concludes in 2024. In addition, the company would like to provide heat to the nearby village of Čurug, including the school and other public buildings. “Unfortunately, there are no regulations from the government regarding this yet,” says Radonovic. But several problems are caused by using organic waste as a substrate. Because each tank load has a different composition, the plant has to be carefully supervised and controlled. “The bacteria inside react immediately to the changing substrate. I neither want to let them 56
BIOGAS JOURNAL | AUTUMN_2023 ENGLISH ISSUE starve, nor overfeed them.” Smiling, Konstadin Radonovic points to the green digester. There is also more formation of foam in the digester, which he has to combat by adding oil. Challenges of Biogas from Residual Materials for CHP The pumps get dirty much faster and have to be serviced more often. The biogas contains more sulphates. The two Jenbacher CHP systems don’t like that very much and need to be appeased with more frequent oil changes. “I then have to discuss the costs with Esotron,” says the plant manager. The packaging residues floating on the substrate don’t worry him much, as they are mainly paper. “Furthermore, we extract the digestate from the bottom of the facility for use as fertilizer,” explains Radonovic. The greater problem is that Esotron is experiencing supply difficulties. That is why the plant only runs with a capacity utilization of 70 to 80 percent, although 85 percent were actually agreed on. But Global Seed can even see that reasonably calmly. “We have a con- View from the Usce Tower, where the Serbian Biogas Association has its office. ■ ■ ■ Fermenter agitators for wall and ceiling installation Robust and powerful construction, energy-saving + highly efficient Separation technology stationary / as mobile unit / with direct substrate recirculation Bioheat heat exchanger ■ ■ ■ Agitators for secondary fermenters and final storage tanks Pump technology for biogas plants Panoramic sight glasses Retrofitting possible PROMOTION? WE ADVISE YOU GLADLY! PAULMICHL GmbH · Kisslegger Straße 13 · 88299 Leutkirch · Tel. +49 (0) 75 63 / 91 24 79 - 0 · Fax 0 75 63 / 80 12 · www.paulmichl.de 57
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