How to Save Money When Buying Waste To Biogas

It’s a disaster waiting to happen, and sooner rather than later. The different types of wastes contain all kinds of harmful chemicals, antibiotics, nutrients and pathogens which can harm the surrounding area in any number of ways (for example, by getting into the source of drinking water, crops, or harming the surrounding wildlife). 

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Not only that, but one of the biggest issues with filling up our landfills is that it creates huge amounts of methane, a greenhouse gas. Methane traps heat in the atmosphere at a rate higher than carbon dioxide does (86x more), resulting in more rapidly escalating climate change.

It’s clear that something needs to be done. We need to – 

1. Reduce the wastes we personally contribute to landfills.
2. Find other methods for what we’d usually rely on non-renewable sources of energy.

With creating biogas from food waste, both of these issues are solved in one go. 

Biogas from Food Waste: How Does it Work?

Biogas is a type of natural gas. It’s created by breaking down the bacteria in organic waste (such as plant and animal products) in ‘anaerobic digestion’ – a digestive process in a purpose-built vessel, and an oxygen-free environment. 

When creating biogas from food waste, the biogas is created by anaerobic digestion, recycling the organic material fed into the vessel which releases biogas. 

But that’s not all: the biogas from the food waste process separates the energy created – the biogas itself – and any other solid run-off (‘digestate’), which can also be used for sustainable living. 

This anaerobic digestion process can happen naturally in some landfills, natural environments and even livestock manure processing factories, but not at any significant, environment-changing level. For that, we need to look at making longer-lasting and higher-impacting changes. 

One of these could be harnessing the power of the anaerobic digestion process to produce biogas from food waste. It’s an optimized, controlled process, and has the power to make a huge impact on your personal contribution to landfills, while cutting down the amount of food waste you produce, and even saving your energy bills!

The Biogas from Food Waste Process

If this sounds complicated, rest assured that it isn’t. 

The actual creation of biogas from food waste takes place in  purpose built ‘reactors’ (vessels). Once the food waste and organic waste scraps are added to the reactor, the bacteria inside the reactor works in stages to break down the waste, creating a chain of chemical reactions that end in biogas formation (as well as digestate runoff in liquid and solid form). 

Sometimes, biogas from food waste can be produced quicker when different types of organic wastes are placed in the reactor together: this is called ‘co-digestion’. 

Once the biogas is captured, it can be used for a whole range of sustainable living activities, including: 

• Cooking
• Powering engines, turbines and other sustainable living tools
• Upgrading it to biomethane for use in a natural gas pipeline

Who Uses Biogas from Food Waste?

Biogas from food waste has so many and-uses, you might wonder why you’re only just hearing more about it! 

Among them include – 

• Renewable natural gas, filled with biomethane, this biogas has been refined to meet natural gas industry standards. In fact, 40% of natural gas is used to provide the electricity powering the US national grid. Other natural gas is used for heating and cooking. 
• Compressed natural gas and liquefied natural gas
• Digestate: liquid and solid run offs that are produced separate from the biogas during the anaerobic digestion process

As far as who actually uses biogas from food waste, the answer is: anyone who’s looking to source and live a renewable energy lifestyle. 

This can be anyone from – 

• Local and federal governments looking to replace their dependency on (costly, inefficient) energy sources
• Individual households seeking to live a more renewable energy-focused and sustainable lifestyle (such as clean energy advocates and homesteaders)
• Industries depending on using non-renewable energy sources

Curious to see if you too should be using biogas from food waste? If you’re eager to cut down on your reliance on fossil fuels and are interested in creating your own, locally produced, renewable energy, it could be you. 
HomeBiogas products come in an assortment of sizes because the people who use our systems come from a variety of backgrounds and lifestyles.

The Clear-Cut Benefits of Using Biogas from Food Waste

If it all sounds a bit complicated, then rest assured that it’s anything but. 

On that note, when it comes to the benefits of using biogas from food waste, you might be pleased to know that there are so many other benefits to doing so, all of which could really affect and improve your entire lifestyle! 

Using biogas from food waste will impact your – 

• Personal environmental impact, from cutting down your reliance on non-renewable sources of energy. Not only will you be generating a renewable energy source, but you’ll be less responsible for contributing to landfills. 
• Your energy bills. Using biogas to cook, or even power your home, means a reduced energy bill. In fact, just one cook (powered by up to 6 liters of organic food waste) will give you enough natural energy for up to 2 hours. 
• Saving the environment by using any methane (the harmful greenhouse gas that is released from landfills) for conversion to biogas, your carbon footprint and personal responsibility for atmospheric emissions decreases drastically. 
• Agricultural intentions. The digestate produced by biogas from food waste can be used as fertilizer, to continue growing your own organic crops. You could even sell the natural fertilizer produced at a local farmers market, thereby creating a whole new revenue stream you might not have previously considered. 
• Complete energy independence. And what better situation could you be in than that? 

The above benefits are so easy to achieve. You just need the correct reactor…and you could be creating your own biogas from food waste in your very own backyard in just a matter of clicks!

The HomeBiogas Solution: Creating Biogas from Food Waste

The HomeBiogas reactor brings you the ability to create your own biogas from food waste to your own home. 

Installing the reactor takes no time at all, and brings you an all-natural, environmentally-friendly way to cook your food and fertilize your garden. 

It’s incredibly simple too: just collect up to 6 liters of food scraps (or other organic waste) and put it into the system. Turn the stove on, wait for the biogas to form, and cook your food! 

If you want to learn more, please visit our website Waste To Biogas.

It’s odor-less, hassle-free…and gives you all the benefits outlined above. 

Delivered straight to your stove top in an instant, your biogas from food waste will bring you – 

• Biogas for at-home cooking
• A reduced set of energy bills
• Reduced environmental impact 
• High-quality liquid fertilizer, ready to use

You can feed the HomeBiogas system anything from fruit, dairy, eggs, meats, cooking oil and more that’s organic. The system itself is a one-time purchase that will last you up to 15 years before you need to replace it. Even better, it doesn’t require any cleaning (which makes it the best type of composter or stovetop you could ask for). 

Conserving energy and mitigating climate change are global priorities. One ongoing promising solution is the conversion of potentially harmful raw waste materials into sustainable energy sources, such as converting animal slurry waste to create green biogas. According to the Climate Change Committee’s ‘Progress in Reducing Emissions’ report, agriculture accounts for 48% of the UK’s methane emissions, emphasising the urgency for action in this sector.

One way of converting potentially harmful materials into a sustainable solution is the conversion of slurry to green biogas. While this process is still gaining traction, the total amount of biogas energy worldwide increased by 2.4% in .
Rainbarrow Farm, located on the outskirts of Dorchester, Dorset, stands as a pioneer in this field. Home to one of the UK’s first Anaerobic Digestion plants, Rainbarrow Farm produces Biomethane “green” gas, which is directly injected back into the national gas grid network. Recently, they upgraded their original ageing CHP unit to a new KE-MBG 450kWe Gentec CHP unit which incorporates a MAN Rollo E LE242 Biogas fuelled engine, ensuring continued efficiency and sustainability.

As experts in CHP supply & installation, this is a trend we are thrilled to be a part of at Helec. This article will explore what it means to convert slurry for savings and highlight the benefits available to customers.

What Is Green Biogas?

If you are not familiar with biogas, we thought it would be a good idea to share a short overview of this energy source.

Biogas is an eco-friendly and sustainable renewable energy source produced from the breakdown of natural waste materials. Most often used is animal, plant and food waste; of which energy is produced from a technical process called anaerobic digestion. This involves bacteria being used to break down organic matter due to Oxygen being removed. The microorganisms produce biogas in liquid form, with the remaining matter being suitable for use as a fertiliser as all germs have been removed beforehand. With the result being both a usable energy source and quality materials suitable for farming and future crop growth, the solution is duly referred to as a “green energy source”.

During the recent Future of Farming seminar at Cenex LCV Expo on September 7, , Penny Atkins, CEO of the International Fugitive Emissions Abatement Association (IFEAA), shed light on progress towards methane emissions reduction in the UK. She stressed the importance of methane capture from slurry in achieving the UKs emission reduction targets. Methane emissions from slurry are significant contributors to unwanted emissions in the agricultural sector. The UK’s commitment to the global methane pledge necessitates innovative solutions. Organisations such as Bennamann and CNH have developed technology for methane capture from slurry, offering a promising solution to mitigate emissions from livestock farming in the UK & Europe.

What Are the Benefits of Generating and Using Green Biogas?

As you can see from our recent blogs, biogas has already helped many customers reduce both their environmental impacts and money spent on site energy costs. There are many benefits attached to choosing this method of (a) reducing natural site waste and (2) producing ‘green’ energy, which we have shared below. We should also mention that anyone can adopt the process as biogas production is a scalable energy producer. As long as you have a raw material suitable for use and space to carry out the conversion process, biogas production is a viable solution.

Biogas Is a Renewable and Versatile Energy Source

The first major benefit is that biogas is a green and renewable energy source. As it’s produced from organic waste, it means only money must be spent on the conversion tools. Nothing needs to be added to the matter, meaning you only use available waste. This is also a constantly generated source, adding to the status of a renewable energy source. From farmers with animals generating daily waste matter to food producers with unwanted scraps, this method can continually generate energy production for the right people.

The versatility of this energy source also means the generated materials can be used straight back in the production environment. Examples include using biogas as fuel to power on-site machinery, or even to heat homes / processing areas on-site. Essentially, producers can use the land again to power the land, meaning the use of other energy is greatly reduced. This leads to less environmental impact and more financial independence.

A pilot project funded by Cornwall County Council demonstrated the potential benefits of methane capture technology. At Trenance Farm, methane capture from slurry significantly reduced the carbon footprint, showcasing environmental advantages. Moreover, the project highlighted economic potential, with substantial income generation opportunities for regions and individual farms.

A Solution Is Offered for Waste Management

Biogas also offers the benefit of getting rid of unwanted waste. This both eliminates the chance of landfill sites being more hazardous and reduces the impact of the matter on the environment.

For example, methane produced by animal waste is 80 times more potent than carbon dioxide over 20 years. As the main contributor to ground-level ozone formation and a significant reason why environmental quality is rapidly declining, it is a serious issue. Using this waste to convert to energy instead of leaving harmful toxins to impact our environment is a huge advantage.

Biogas Reduce Pollution For Soil and Water Sources

Not only are hazardous materials removed from ecosystems, but the remnants of the production process offer an organic fertiliser. This enriched material turns waste into usable matter in multiple ways, and the high quality means a stronger crop can be produced. Benefits of this include more oxygen being produced, healthier plants and more reliable growth patterns that positively impact financial sectors. Finally, crops that are resilient to disease are also produced, eliminating the chance of food poisoning or environmental harm. The same benefits are also available to water sources as harmful waste is either disposed of in water sources or naturally leaking into them, which is a key source of harm to our aquatic environment.

Low Cost For Improved Economic Gain

Whether you are searching for a method to make a company greener or interested in saving money, the financial benefits of methane capture are substantial. If methane captured from slurry is used to replace natural gas for heating homes, regions could generate approximately £66 million in gross income. Utilising methane for road traffic fuel and claiming RTFO credits could lead to even greater income potential, up to £150 million for regions. Individual dairy farms could also benefit financially, with potential savings of up to £10,000 per year or earnings ranging from £25,000 to £50,000 per year from selling captured methane.

Not only can you benefit from a way to save money, but the technology used in the production process is low-cost, meaning a quick ROI can be experienced. There are also different sizes and specifications of production processes, meaning anyone from household customers to large organisations can find a biogas system ideal for their own needs.

The benefits of facilitating a circular economy include better distribution channels, efficient production, sustainability impacts on other areas, waste management and effective deployment of newly purchased materials.

Why Is the Use of Green Biogas Important at This Time?

We are at a pivotal point in the world in terms of both finances and environmental impacts. Even though many negative effects will take a considerable amount of time to aid, some impacts cannot be undone; there is no better time than the present to make a positive change.

Additionally, when referring to energy consumption, the negative impacts of methane and waste have a lengthy life cycle associated with them. This means that waste produced in recent years will still have a repercussion for a considerable time. By taking a chance now and choosing green biogas, future generations can experience a healthier planet.

Finally, biogas production can still have an immediate impact when used in locations where resources are scarce or too expensive. This is the case for developing countries, as the produced energy source can be used for vehicle maintenance and cooking fuel. Whether you are choosing to produce biogas for your gain or to turn your unwanted resource into a valuable commodity for others, now is the best time to put the systems in place that make this sustainable operation possible and valuable.

How Can Helec Support This Initiative?

In conclusion, efforts to reduce methane emissions in the UK require additional actions to meet commitments. Capturing fugitive methane emissions from slurry presents an opportunity to not only reduce emissions but also improve farm incomes. With innovative technology and supportive initiatives, the path to sustainable energy and economic prosperity is within reach.

At Helec, we offer a range of low carbon technology products that allow our customers to benefit from affordable methods of lowering energy bills and living sustainably. This includes biogas CHP solutions, which provide all the benefits we have explored in this article. We also support many other areas of energy production to help companies operate sustainably. We can assist with site surveys, design systems in order to make it all possible, from hospitality owners looking to use heat pumps as affordable energy sources to farmers wanting to adopt renewable cash lifecycles.

Are you interested in learning more about Organic Waste To Biogas? Contact us today to secure an expert consultation!