The Danish voluntary measuring programme€¦ · centralised biogas plant 13 2.4 % 767,000 3 - remote Plant 6: Agricultural, farm scale, large 15 5.9 1.4 % 360,000 1 –on-site 15

DTU Environment29 January 2020 Scheutz, C.

The Danish voluntary measuring programme

Charlotte Scheutz

Technical University of Denmark

Workshop on Quantification of GHG emissions from biogas plants

European Biogas Association, Brussels, Belgium


Biogas plants in Denmark

Type of plants Number of plants

Wastewater treatment 51

Agricultural plants:

centralised

28

Agricultural plants:

farm scale

55

Industrial plant 4

Landfill 27

2


Danish biogas production 1995-2016

• 5 fold increase in production

• Mainly by construction of new large centralised plant

• Combined 84 % of the biogas production is based on livestock manure

2016:

Production in PJ

Distribution in %

Agricul – centralised

Agricul – farm scale

Landfill

Industrial

Wastewater treatment


Drivers for biogas in Denmark

Climate:

• Reduces CO2 emissions by replacing natural gas, coal or diesel

• Reduces methane emissions from livestock manure by up to 70%

Environment:

• Recirculates nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium

• Reduces nitrogen leaching by 2-3 kg per 100 kg N supplied

• Cleaner transport (CO2, health, noise)

Storable renewable energy:

• Can be pulled from gas storages when needed for different needs

• Distributed without loss via the gas system

Agriculture:

• 5-8 kg more nitrogen available per 100 kg N

• Redistribution of phosphorus as adaptation to new targeted phosphorus regulation

4


Initial study in 2015 - results

Type of biogas plant Number of

leakages

Methane

emission rate Methane loss Lost income Målefirma

kg/h % of prod. DDK/year -

Plant 1: Agricultural,

centralised biogas plant

19 1.0 0.25 % 60,000 2 – on-site

3.3 0.84 % 201,000 3 - remote

9.5 2.4 % 578,000 3 - remote


farm scale 5 0.13 0.27 % 8,000 1 – on-site

Plant 3: Wastewater, large

7 0.48 0.29 % 29,000 1 – on-site

4.0 2.4 % 244,000 2 – on-site

13.5 8.2 % 821,000 3 - remote

Plant 4: Wastewater, small 4 1.1 4.0 % 69,000 1 – on-site

Plant 5: Agricultural, 8 27 5.2 % 1.671,000 1 – on-site

centralised biogas plant 13 2.4 % 767,000 3 - remote


farm scale, large

15 5.9 1.4 % 360,000 1 – on-site

15 3.7 % 936,000 2 – on-site

13 3.3 % 815,000 3 - remote

5


The purpose of the Danish voluntary measurement

program

• To help the individual plant minimize methane loss and thereby improve its economy

• To reduce the biogas production's climate impacts and document the industry's efforts

• To establish a better data basis with regard to actual losses from Danish biogas plants.

Type of biogas plants included:

• Agricultural biogas plants, farm scale

• Agricultural biogas plants, centralised

• Wastewater treatment biogas plants

• Industrial biogas plants

6


The Danish voluntary measurement programme

• Voluntary programme

• Launched by Danish Biogas Association in autumn 2016

• Emissions are reported to Association for Biogas in yearly reports. Data are not available

to the public

• Target: > 90 % participation to programme

• Target: Emission from biogas and upgrading plant on a national level < 1% in 2020

• No sanctions

7


The Danish voluntary measurement programme

1. With an external company, the biogas plant prepares a plan for routine self-monitoring

and implement this at least every two months

• Based on a questionnaire, a leakage search and quantification

• Includes a list with components, which have to be checked for emissions and quantified

• The plan is submitted to the Danish Biogas Association

2. An external company quantifies the methane emissions from the plant.

• For large plants (>1 million m3 CH4 per year), this must be done at least every two years

and every three years for small plants

• If the plant's methane loss > 2% of the annual production or more than 50 tonnes per

year, the external company must for each leakage suggest mitigation actions.

• A new quantification must be preformed within 1 year after.

3. After major refurbishments and renovations on the plant, a leakage search must be

carried out and the self-monitoring program must be adjusted.

8


Status 2019

• 17 agricultural plants, all manure based, mainly large centralised

• Methane losses: 0.4-2.6% (one plant had 4.6%)

9

Bruno Sander,

Danish Biogas Association


Total methane losses (% of production) measured by

DTU Environment

10

Average CH4 loss as a function of the average gas production at biogas plants.

Scheutz, C., Fredenslund, A.M. 2019. Total methane emission rates and losses from 23 biogas plants. Waste Management, 97, 38-46.

Plant average, normal:

Agricultural: 2.4%

Wastewater: 7.7%


Issues with the current voluntary system

• Only few plants have signed up (17 out of 150)

• Only manure based plants – no WWTPs

• General very large and new plants – not representative

• Little transparency and insight in measurements, reporting schemes and emission data

• No disclosure of emission rates to the public or authorities

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A new initiative by the Danish Energy Agency

12

Project tasks:

• Involvement of biogas plants and work plan for the individual plants

• Plant visits and self-inspection program

• Guidance material and exchange of experience

• Leak detection and quantification of methane emissions from biogas plants

• Development of measurement best practice

• Prerequisites for future support

• Calculation of updated emission factors based on measurements for national reporting

The project will be completed by the end of 2020


Status January 2020

13

• Contact made to 170 plants

• 77 plants have signed up –more plants are expected

• Whole plant methane quantification mandatory

• Quantification of methane emissions from

upgrading unit, engine, and ventilation is

mandatory

• Leakage search with camera is optional but often

chosen

• Technical consultancy on emission reduction


Questions

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Documents

The Danish voluntary measuring programme€¦ · centralised biogas plant 13 2.4 % 767,000 3 - remote Plant 6: Agricultural, farm scale, large 15 5.9 1.4 % 360,000 1 –on-site 15