Biogas purification with biomass ash

• Published in: Waste management (Elmsford) 2018-01, Vol.71, p.224-232
• Main Authors: Fernández-Delgado Juárez, M., Mostbauer, P., Knapp, A., Müller, W., Tertsch, S., Bockreis, A., Insam, H.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Ash carbonation; Biogas desulfurization; Biomass ash valorization; Economic assessment; Gas upgrading; Leaching
• ISSN: 0956-053X; 1879-2456
• DOI: 10.1016/j.wasman.2017.09.043

•A system for biogas upgrading employing regionally available wood as is proposed.•The system showed long-lasting removal of H2S (up to 34 days) from the crude biogas.•Ashes’ leachate showed a reduction of pH by almost 3 units, and reduction of EC.•Economic evaluation indicates system dependency on transport distances and ash re-use. The aim of the study was to investigate the option to purify biogas from small-scale biogas plants by entrapping CO2 and H2S with regionally available biomass ash. Connected to the existing biogas plant Neustift (Tyrol) wood ash placed in a 1 m3 container was used as a trap for CO2 and H2S in the biogas. With the process conditions chosen, for a period of a few hours CO2 was trapped resulting in pure methane. The removal of H2S was much longer-lasting (up to 34 d). The cumulative H2S uptake by the biomass ash ranged from 0.56 to 1.25 kg H2S per ton of ash. The pH of the ash and the leachability of Lead and Barium were reduced by the flushing with biogas, however toxicity towards plants was increased thus reducing the potential of ash use in agriculture. It can be concluded that biomass ash may be used for removal of hydrogen sulphide from biogas in small and medium biogas plants. The economic evaluation, however, indicated that the application of this system is limited by transport distances for the ash and its potential use afterwards.