BIOGAS industrial ecosystem

By project SYMBI

Published on 29 November 2018

Greece

Dytiki Makedonia

About this good practice

BIOGAS PTOLEMAIDA is a small company, near the second largest city of Western Macedonia, Ptolemaida, which transforms slaughter house, animal breed and agricultural by-products to electricity (from biogas) and organic fertilizer. The management of these waste are an environmental legislation obligation for all the involved parties. The industrial eco-system was developed spontaneously by the involved parts so as to find the best environmental and financial solution to manage their waste.
The plant is processing 19.800tn/year of organic by-products, consisting of liquid and solid cattle manure, liquid pig manure, glycerin, whey, corn and sorghum fermentation by-products. These materials are transformed by anaerobic digestion to (a) biogas (5.120m3/d) and co-production of thermal (12.700 Kwthh/d) and electric energy (11.900 Kweh/d) and (b) 4.100tn of organic fertilizer. The thermal energy is used inside the plant, the electric energy is sold to the national network and also the fertilizer is used in agriculture (liquid) and for land reclamation (solid).
The products are transferred to the plant from MAVIK (slaughter house with 625 animals per day capacity of slaughtering) in Ptolemaida, sludge from 2 municipal wastewater treatment plants (located in the Region), manure from 10 animal breeding units (located in the region), cheese dairy and cultivations of the surrounding area. Energy is produced from waste, fossil fuel is saved and also greenhouse gas emissions are reduced.

Resources needed

Initial investment: around 800.000 euros
Staff: About 10 persons only for the biogas station.
Stakeholders involved: 10 animal breeding and agricultural units, 2 municpality wastewater treatment plants, 2 slaughter houses.

Evidence of success

Cost reduction: By creating this ecosystem they share expenses, difficulties, and increase their annual savings. (2618euros/d from produced energy).
Productivity: Increased productivity for the providers of waste because they pay less attention to its management.
Jobs: There are many opportunities in research and development to improve the process.
Greenhouse gas emissions/Resource efficiency: Energy is produced from waste, fossil fuel are saved, greenhouse gas emissions are reduced.

Potential for learning or transfer

The most significant features of the industrial eco-system that make it transferable are that they use standardised technology solutions and processes, the needs it addresses are common among industries, in different regions/countries, small changes in daily operations, low risk of organizational resistance are needed, environmental legal requirements demand such a solution. It is an industrial ecosystems created spontaneously because the involved parts identified their common interests. So in order to have a successful industrial ecosystem the different actors that face the same problems which has the same solution should be brought together, develop a trust among them and share the risk of the investment. Also, a financial tool that will support the initial investment is necessary. success factors were the adequate funding the cost of the initial investment was co-financed by European projects and of the continuation was the sctive participation and commitment of partners.