BiomassValue

Initial situation & project description

Tests and analytical procedures for the characterization of biomass and the prediction of gas yield values are largely designed for classical substrates such as maize, grass, and other energy crops. Reliable methods for residual and waste materials are still lacking.

The goal of BiomassValue is the development of a rapid analytical method based on an enzymatic test that reliably determines biogas potentials of residual materials.

Analytical methods used in structural analysis offer, in principle, the possibility to characterize substrates and derive biogas and methane yields. In the case of silages—long used in the biogas sector—the resulting yield potentials are comparatively reliable. However, for the large number of heterogeneous residual material fractions, which are increasingly becoming the focus of plant operators, classical feed analysis methods provide limited useful information.

Against this background, the present project aims to develop a universally applicable enzymatic test procedure capable of generating practical gas yield predictions for a wide variety of residual material fractions.

To achieve this, a special enzyme blend will first be developed that combines the relevant enzymatic activities in a single preparation. The preparation will initially be tested using defined reference materials and later validated with real sample materials. Subsequently, process parameters will be optimized to achieve reduced incubation times of less than 6 hours, supporting the project's objective of a rapid testing method. To demonstrate the practical suitability of the developed procedure, continuous fermentation tests will be carried out using selected mixtures of residual material fractions. These tests will be used to validate the test predictions against real biogas yields. 

The project with the funding code 49MF250007 is financially supported by the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy (BMWE) as part of the ‘INNO-KOM’ funding programme via the project management agency Euronorm GmbH.

You can also find more information about the project here: