This book presents a comprehensive synopsis of the production and utilization of biomethane along with important recent advances. Biomethane production offers valuable alternative energy solutions for the replacement of fossil fuels to lessen environmental impacts and strategize for mitigating global warming and climate change. Chapters first focus on the production of biogas (or biomethane) with emphasis on the different biomass utilization for industrial and domestic applications and describe the characteristics, parameters, and process design of anaerobic digesters for biomethane production from waste biomass. The book then goes on to discuss advanced genetic engineering tools and techniques to enhance biomethanation and biomethane production. The volume also offers a state-of-the-art review of anaerobic digestion of biogenic solid wastes, the impact of different chemical pretreatment processes and products, and the influence of operating parameters on biomethane yields. Differentiating between the thermochemical technologies (e.g., gasification and pyrolysis) and biological technologies (e.g., anaerobic digestion) for biomethane production, the book assesses some recent advancements in biomethane production along with its socioeconomic impacts and applications. Other topics include gasification technology and syngas cleaning for biosynthetic natural gas production, the use of catalysts for enhanced synthetic natural gas production, biohythane fuel produced from microbial fermentative pathways, and more. Biomethane: Developments and Prospects offers valuable insight and information on the current status of production and utilization of biomethane that has cross-disciplinary value in biotechnology, fermentation technology, bioprocess engineering, chemical engineering, and environmental technology with a common interest in biofuels and bioenergy.

The production of biomethane, the renewable version of natural gas, from the biological conversion of organic matter at an industrial scale is fast advancing in several areas of the world. A confluence of factors is fueling the rapid expansion: cost-reducing continuous advances in the technology that make biomethane competitive to fossil natural gas, the emerging concerns over global warming and the need for developing renewable energy resources, and the looming peak oil consequences on the international political-economic stability and in particular the national security of the United States and several major energy importing nations. All types of organic wastes generated by our advanced society, as well as dedicated energy cash crops, can be and are employed separately or combined to produce this renewable fuel. Unlike other biofuels derived from limited food crops, biomethane is a universal natural fuel that is produced in a sustainable fashion because organic fertilizer as a coproduct of the conversion process is used to grow optimally the employed energy crops. Biomethane can be most effectively utilized as a replacement of gasoline and diesel in the transportation sector and is the only practical solution to do so in the foreseeable future. A biomethane-based road transportation system in the United States can generate over 1 trillion dollars in economic output and support 10 million direct and indirect green jobs in manufacturing, engineering, construction, farming, and services. Vision and political will are sufficient to mobilize the vast American natural resources, know-how and economy in order to effect full transition from oil dependency to an indigenous biomethane economy within twenty years.

Biomethane Production from Vegetable and Water Hyacinth Waste explores the production of biomethane from vegetable waste and water hyacinth via anaerobic fermentation, focusing on effect factors, control methods and optimization. The book introduces principles and key technologies before proceeding into a deeper exploration of the fundamentals of municipal vegetable waste, such as composition, main indicators, experiment devices, and pretreatment. Processes to produce volatile fatty acids and resource recovery from anaerobic fermentation liquid and residue are described in detail. Other topics covered include the utilization of fermentation products, engineering design of a reaction tank, process parameters, and environmental and economic aspects. The practical, application-oriented approach of this book allows engineering researchers, PhD students, and industry practitioners in the field of biogas and biomethane production, biomass conversion, and waste management to immediately utilize the information it provides. - Covers the fundamentals and applications of the use of food waste and water hyacinth for biomethane production through anaerobic digestion - Explores core challenges of a biomethane production operation, including details on process optimization and control - Includes multiple case studies grounded in current industrial practice - Offers practical examples and numerical calculations for large-scale operation - Provides a representative treatment of a PPP plant considered from a process systems design perspective

With increasing pressures to utilize wastes effectively and sustainably, biogas production represents one of the most important routes towards reaching renewable energy targets. This comprehensive reference on the development and deployment of biogas supply chains and technology reviews the role of biogas in the energy mix and outlines the range of biomass and waste resources for biogas production. Contributors provide detailed coverage of anaerobic digestion for the production of biogas and review the utilization of biogas for various applications. They consider all aspects in the biogas production chain from the origin of the biomass feedstocks, feedstock selection and preparation, the anaerobic digestion process, biogas plant equipment design and operation, through to utilization of the biogas for energy production and the residue, the digestate, which can be used as a biofertilizer. The book also addresses biogas utilization, and explores environmental impacts and commercial market applications. Table of Contents: Biogas as an energy option: An overview Part 1 Biomass resources, feedstock treatment and biogas production: Biomass resources for biogas production; Analysis and characterisation of biogas feedstocks; Storage and pre-treatment of substrates for biogas production; Fundamental science and engineering of the anaerobic digestion process for biogas production; Optimisation of biogas yields from anaerobic digestion by feedstock type; Anaerobic digestion as a key technology for biomass valorisation: Roles and contribution to the energy balance of biofuel chains Part 2 Plant design, engineering, process optimisation and digestate utilization: Design and engineering of biogas plants; Energy flows in biogas plants: Analysis and implications for plant design; Process control in biogas plants; Methane emissions in biogas production; Biogas digestate quality and utilization; Land application of digestate Part 3 Biogas utilisation: international experience and best practice: Biogas cleaning; Biogas up-grading to biomethane; Biomethane injection into natural gas networks; Generation of heat and power from biogas for stationery applications: Boilers, gas engines and turbines, combined heat and power (CHP) plants and fuel cells; Biomethane for transport applications; Market development and certification schemes for biomethane

This book addresses the interactions between Germany’s energy transition and the EU’s energy policy framework. It seeks to analyze the manifold connections between the prospects of the proclaimed “Energy Union” and the future of Germany’s energy transition, and identifies relevant lessons for the transformation at the EU level that can be learned from the case of Germany, as a first-mover of transforming energy systems towards renewables. The various repercussions (political, economic and systemic) from the national transition are explored within the EU context as it responds to the German transition, taking into account both existing frictions and potential synergies between predominantly national sustainability policies and the EU’s push towards harmonized policies within a common market. The book’s overall aim is to identify the most critical issues, in order to avoid pitfalls and capitalize on opportunities.

The search for alternative sources of energy to offset diminishing resources of easy and cost-effective fossil fuels has become a global initiative, and fuel generated from biomass is a leading competitor in this arena. Large-scale introduction of biofuels into the energy mix could contribute to environmentally and economicaly sustainable development on a global scale. The processes and methodologies presented in this volume will offer a cutting-edge and comprehensive approach to the production of biofuels, for engineers, researchers, and students.

This book offers the current state of knowledge in the field of biofuels, presented by selected research centers from around the world. Biogas from waste production process and areas of application of biomethane were characterized. Also, possibilities of applications of wastes from fruit bunch of oil palm tree and high biomass/bagasse from sorghum and Bermuda grass for second-generation bioethanol were presented. Processes and mechanisms of biodiesel production, including the review of catalytic transesterification process, and careful analysis of kinetics, including bioreactor system for algae breeding, were widely analyzed. Problem of emissivity of NOx from engines fueled by B20 fuel was characterized. The closing chapters deal with the assessment of the potential of biofuels in Turkey, the components of refinery systems for production of biodegradable plastics from biomass. Also, a chapter concerning the environmental conditions of synthesis gas production as a universal raw material for the production of alternative fuels was also added.

Because of the major opportunities and risks associated with it, and the complexity of the subject, bioenergy policy has in a short time become a challenging political task for regulators and planners – a task that can only be accomplished through worldwide cooperation and the creation of an international framework. This book's central message is that the sustainable potential of bioenergy, which can be tapped all over the world, should be utilized – provided that threats to sustainability are avoided. In particular, the use of bioenergy must not endanger food security or the goals of nature conservation and climate change mitigation.

Realizing the finite nature of natural resources such as fossil fuels, the emphasis is now shifting to alternative raw materials with the potential to mitigate the environmental, economic, and social stresses of today’s world. Under this horizon, in this book, we explore the use of biomass and key issues, including technological nodes and disruptive technologies capable of unlocking the black box of biomass-based technology. This book provides an overview for those attentive to the promises of biomass as a source of a myriad of specialty products.

This book covers recent developments in process systems engineering (PSE) for efficient resource use in biomass conversion systems. It provides an overview of process development in biomass conversion systems with focus on biorefineries involving the production and coproduction of fuels, heating, cooling, and chemicals. The scope includes grassroots and retrofitting applications. In order to reach high levels of processing efficiency, it also covers techniques and applications of natural-resource (mass and energy) conservation. Technical, economic, environmental, and social aspects of biorefineries are discussed and reconciled. The assessment scales vary from unit- to process- and life-cycle or supply chain levels. The chapters are written by leading experts from around the world, and present an integrated set of contributions. Providing a comprehensive, multi-dimensional analysis of various aspects of bioenergy systems, the book is suitable for both academic researchers and energy professionals in industry.