Biogas from animal manure in Switzerland

Aim of this white paper is to provide decision-makers, administrations and stakeholders with the most current research findings in order to promote the optimal use of bioenergy from manure in the Swiss energy transition. For this purpose, the results of the Swiss competence center for bioenergy research - SCCER BIOSWEET - are summarized and presented in a broader context. If nothing else is mentioned, the results refer to Switzerland and in case of the feedstock to the domestic biomass potentials.

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Related Publications

Deutsche Version: White Paper: Biogas aus Hofdünger in der Schweiz: Energiepotenzial, Technologieentwicklung und Ressourcenmobilisierung. SCCER-BIOSWEET; Burg, V.; Bowman, G.; Thees, O.; Baier, U.; Biollaz, S.; Damartzis, T.; Hersener, J.-L.; Luterbacher, J.; Madi, H.; Maré­chal, F.; Moioli, E.; Rüsch, F.; Studer, M.; Van herle, J.; Vogel, F.; Kröcher, O., 2021; Birmensdorf, Eidg. Forschungsanstalt WSL. 20 S. https://www.doi.org/10.16904/envidat.256

Version française: Livre blanc: Production de biogaz à partir d’engrais de ferme en Suisse: potentiel énergétique, développement technologique et mobilisation des ressources. SCCER-BIOSWEET; Burg, V.; Bowman, G.; Thees, O.; Baier, U.; Biollaz, S.; Damartzis, T.; Hersener, J.-L.; Luterbacher, J.; Madi, H.; Maré­chal, F.; Moioli, E.; Rüsch, F.; Studer, M.; Van herle, J.; Vogel, F.; Kröcher, O., 2021; Birmensdorf, Institut fédéral de recherches WSL. 20 pp. https://www.doi.org/10.16904/envidat.257

Citation:

Burg, Vanessa; Bowman, Gillianne; Thees, Oliver; Baier, Urs; Biollaz, Serge; Damartzis, Theodoros; Hersener, Jean-Louis; Luterbacher, Jeremy; Madi, Hossein; Maréchal, Francois; Moioli, Emanuele; Rüsch, Florian; Studer, Michael; van Herle, Jan; Vogel, Frederic; Kröcher, Oliver (2021). Biogas from animal manure in Switzerland. EnviDat. doi:10.16904/envidat.255.

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DOI 10.16904/envidat.255
Publication State Published
Authors
  • Email: vanessa.burgfoo(at)wsl.ch ORCID: 0000-0002-7902-6523 Given Name: Vanessa Family Name: Burg Affiliation: WSL DataCRediT: Collection, Publication, Supervision
  • Email: gillianne.bowmanfoo(at)wsl.ch Given Name: Gillianne Family Name: Bowman Affiliation: WSL DataCRediT: Collection, Publication
  • Email: oliver.theesfoo(at)wsl.ch Given Name: Oliver Family Name: Thees Affiliation: WSL Federal Research Institute DataCRediT: Publication, Supervision
  • Email: bursfoo(at)zhaw.ch Given Name: Urs Family Name: Baier Affiliation: ZHAW, Zurich University of Applied Sciences, Wädenswil DataCRediT: Publication
  • Email: serge.biollazfoo(at)psi.ch Given Name: Serge Family Name: Biollaz Affiliation: PSI, Paul Scherrer Institute, Villigen DataCRediT: Publication
  • Email: theodoros.damartzisfoo(at)epfl.ch Given Name: Theodoros Family Name: Damartzis Affiliation: EPFL, Lausanne Swiss Federal Institute of Technology, Lausanne and Sion DataCRediT: Publication
  • Email: hersenerfoo(at)agrenum.ch Given Name: Jean-Louis Family Name: Hersener Affiliation: Ingenieurbüro Hersener, Wiesendangen DataCRediT: Publication
  • Email: jeremy.luterbacherfoo(at)epfl.ch Given Name: Jeremy Family Name: Luterbacher Affiliation: EPFL, Lausanne Swiss Federal Institute of Technology, Lausanne and Sion DataCRediT: Publication
  • Email: hossein.madifoo(at)psi.ch Given Name: Hossein Family Name: Madi Affiliation: PSI, Paul Scherrer Institute, Villigen DataCRediT: Publication
  • Email: francois.marechalfoo(at)epfl.ch Given Name: Francois Family Name: Maréchal Affiliation: EPFL, Lausanne Swiss Federal Institute of Technology, Lausanne and Sion DataCRediT: Publication
  • Email: emanuele.moiolifoo(at)psi.ch Given Name: Emanuele Family Name: Moioli Affiliation: PSI, Paul Scherrer Institute, Villigen DataCRediT: Publication
  • Email: ruecfoo(at)zhaw.ch Given Name: Florian Family Name: Rüsch Affiliation: ZHAW, Zurich University of Applied Sciences, Wädenswil DataCRediT: Publication
  • Email: michael.studer1foo(at)bfh.ch Given Name: Michael Family Name: Studer Affiliation: BFH, Bern University of Applied Sciences, Zollikofen DataCRediT: Publication
  • Email: jan.vanherlefoo(at)epfl.ch Given Name: Jan Family Name: van Herle Affiliation: EPFL, Lausanne Swiss Federal Institute of Technology, Lausanne and Sion DataCRediT: Publication
  • Email: frederic.vogelfoo(at)psi.ch Given Name: Frederic Family Name: Vogel Affiliation: PSI, Paul Scherrer Institute, Villigen DataCRediT: Publication
  • Email: oliver.kroecherfoo(at)psi.ch Given Name: Oliver Family Name: Kröcher Affiliation: PSI, Paul Scherrer Institute, Villigen DataCRediT: Publication
Contact Person Given Name: Vanessa Family Name: Burg Email: vanessa.burgfoo(at)wsl.ch Affiliation: WSL ORCID: 0000-0002-7902-6523
Subtitles
Publication Publisher: EnviDat Year: 2021
Dates
  • Type: Created Date: 2020-01-01 End Date: 2021-12-31
Version 1.0
Type datapaper
General Type DataPaper
Language English
Location Switzerland
Content License ODbL with Database Contents License (DbCL)    [Open Data]
Last Updated January 7, 2022, 09:30 (UTC)
Created November 3, 2021, 21:11 (UTC)

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Summary Switzerland is facing a far-reaching transformation of its energy system. To identify solutions to the technical, social, and political challenges linked to the energy transition, the Federal Council and Parliament launched eight Swiss Competence Centers for Energy Research (SCCERs) in 2014 in support of the Swiss Government’s Energy Strategy 2050. In the SCCER BIOSWEET (BIOmass for SWiss EnErgy fuTure), the focus is on biomass and biomass conversion. Even though biogas technology is a highly developed and ready-to-use technology, the use of manure as an energy source is still very limited in Switzerland. Anaerobic digestion (AD) is a promising technology to generate renewable bioenergy in the form of heat, electricity, and fuel from manure. Furthermore, AD improves fertilizer quality and reduces mineral fertilizer use. Thus, manure should be recognized as a crucial local resource to be used for soil fertilization, nutrient recovery, and energy supply, leading to reduced greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. In this white paper, we assess the situation regarding manure in Switzerland to identify the reasons for its low utilization as energy source. The complexity and varying nature of manure makes this feedstock difficult to use for other sustainable products, and as such, its use for energy does not compete with other pathways. Today, manure conversion is characterized by small-scale converters, which suffer from low efficiency of the electricity conversion from gas. The efficiency of the energy provision from manure could be improved by introducing more efficient techniques throughout the AD process chain. This includes separation of manure into solid and liquid fractions, and technologies linked to better pre-treatment of manure (microbial pre-digestion, thermochemical pretreatment) as well as methanation, gas cleaning and fuel cells. Besides AD, hydrothermal gasification and biochar production are interesting emerging technologies with great potential for quantitative manure conversion. The overall modeling of the energy system points to the high relevance of the use of manure as energy source. To summarize, the use of manure for energy purposes in Switzerland could be much greater than it is today. However, this would require an expansion of the biogas infrastructure and the current incentives. In addition to having potential environmental benefits (particularly reducing CO2 emissions), providing energy from manure helps to stabilize the energy system, in combination with other renewables, and makes it possible to achieve greater energy independence from traditional fossil fuel sources.