ECO-POWER


BC.MICROcon5 contains the five key trace elements needed for healthy digester biology in one easy-dose tab


FM BioEnergy’s easy-dose digester


additive delivers 400% ROI for Essex AD plant


A new approach to digester additives from biogas expert


FM BioEnergy has boosted gas output at an Essex anaerobic digestion plant, delivering a 400% return on investment for operator BioWatt. Here we find out how


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ocated in Essex, the 1MW Katharos Organic AD facility took part in a nine-week trial of


FM BioEnergy’s new BC.MICROcon5 digester supplement. This contains the exact daily dose of five key trace elements in a safe-to-handle, digestible tab that requires no mixing, measuring or pouring. After seeing an instant rise in methane levels and finding the product safer and easier to use, BioWatt placed an order for a year’s supply. Commenting on the benefits, Alex Monks, chief


operating officer, BioWatt, said: “BC.MICROcon5 has boosted our biogas output. Plus, it’s simple, safe to use and popular with staff.”


REACHING OPERATIONAL TIPPING POINT When BioWatt took over the operation of Katharos Organic AD plant, it was running at an average of 25% of its operational capacity. The team increased performance to 60% output, but when the feeding rate was increased further, the biology became


unstable, causing output and CH4 to drop. FM BioEnergy was already acting as


biological consultants at another BioWatt site. Upon investigating the issues at Katharos, the company uncovered a micronutrient/trace element deficiency. “FOS/TAC levels were elevated at 0.88 and pH


was low at 7.2, meaning that bacteria could not respond to the increased feed rate,” explained Tim Elsome, general manager. “Results from our lab revealed the cause was a severe deficiency in five critical trace elements needed to maintain a healthy digester biology.”


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5-IN-1 EASY DOSE SUPPLEMENT BC.MICROcon5, FM BioEnergy’s newest digester additive product, contains the exact daily dose for a 1MW plant of these same five essential trace elements – nickel, selenium, cobalt, tungsten and molybdenum. Developed by Schaumann BioEnergy (FM BioEnergy’s German product partner), dosage is based on a 1MW plant but it’s easy to flex up or down – for a 500kW facility just add one tab every two days, and so on. BioWatt agreed to take


part in a nine-week product trial, which began with an ‘impulse’ dose. This involved feeding 45 days’ worth of BC.MICROcon5 into the digester in just 30 minutes. “Almost overnight, we


could see that we were producing more gas,” said Monks. “Plus, it contained higher levels of methane – our CH4 readings were already up by 3%.”


SAFE TO HANDLE BioWatt then started the maintenance phase of the trial, feeding one tab into the digester each day, for nine weeks. “We were surprised at how much easier and safer it was to


ENERGY & SUSTAINABILITY SOLUTIONS - Winter 2023


use compared to traditional digester additives, many of which are toxic,” revealed Alex. “The handy-sized tabs are individually wrapped, so we simply dropped one tab into the feed hopper each day – job done! Our staff didn’t need to handle liquids or heavy bags of powder, or mix, measure or pour out specific amounts. So we could be confident that our employees were protected, and that the dosage rate was 100% accurate.”


INCREASED METHANE LEVELS Initially there was a big increase in biogas production and methane content (as high as 62%). After two weeks, however, this settled into


expected levels (52% CH4), allowing the plant to reach and maintain 90% of its 1MW output. At the end of the trial, FM BioEnergy analysed the


results. Elsome explained: “Compared with the starting data, the Katharos plant saw an increase of 3.05m3


of methane and 12.2 kWhe per tonne


of feedstock. This translates into a 400% return on their investment over the course of the trial.” For Monks, BC.MICROcon5 represents a new


era in biological management: “Improvements in biogas output plus ease of use mean that BC.MICROcon5 has more than proved its worth. It’s safer, cleaner, easier, more accurate, saves us space on site, and has quickly become part of our daily digester care regime. We’ve already purchased 12 months’ supply and have recently placed further orders for two more of our plants. Working with FM BioEnergy has been a game changer.”


FM Bioenergy www.fmbioenergy.co.uk


Before, during and after the trial, the FM BioEnergy team conducted analysis to measure FOS/TAC levels as an indicator of biological health


www.essmag.co.uk


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