An Estonian company is planning to start selling mobile power plants that draws energy from biomethane produced from cow slurry.
The company, called Biometaan, signed an agreement with the Finnish partner Convion, with the goal of starting selling mobile power plants running on fuel cells in the Baltic states.
The mobile power plant draws energy from biomethane produced from cow slurry. “This device is unique in the world, and it is based on the most modern technology in Europe,” the company claimed in a statement.
According to Ahto Oja, a member of the board of Biometaan, the mobile power plant that uses biomethane shows a completely new direction towards the future of renewable energy.
“Until now, cow slurry has been completely neglected. However, it is one of the best natural sources of energy. Production of biomethane from slurry prevents 179 per cent of carbon dioxide from being released into the atmosphere, compared with the regular amount released during manure fermentation in slurry storage facilities,” Oja said in a statement.
Providing energy around the clock
According to him, the disadvantage of wind and solar energy is that it is impossible to control them, while a cogeneration plant can provide energy around the clock.
“The solid oxide fuel cell cogeneration plant has an electrical efficiency of 60%, which is significantly higher compared with the 30-40% efficiency of conventional cogeneration plants. In addition to electricity, 25% of the output of the device is heat energy, which means the unit achieves a total efficiency of 85%. With electricity generated by this device, we can cover a quarter of our electricity costs 24 hours a day.”
Biometaan owns the Siimani biomethane plant, which was built in the village of Koksvere in Estonia’s Viljandi County at the beginning of 2018. The plant produces biomethane from cow slurry, silage and manure – 81,000 tons of slurry, 5,000 tons of manure and 5,000 tons of silage are used annually.
Construction of the plant cost more than €6.3 million, of which €2.6 million was received as a grant from the Centre for Environmental Investments, and the rest was funded with the support of private capital.
