Autumn 2017 EN

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English Issue Biogas Journal | Autumn_2017 Photo: AD Solutions UG Construction works of the gas storage of the plant. taking into account agricultural residues only. This increases to 160 MW when considering pineapple stubble. Given the rapid development of the sector in the last few years and the lack of regulation with regard to biogas, GIZ, ICE, academic institutions and other interested parties from the private sector have established the Costa Rican Biogas Association. Asobiogás aims at supporting and promoting the technology. The German Biogas Association and Asobiogás have collaborated and exchanged information in the past. The German experience AD Solutions, a German engineering and consulting company, has a variety of experience in Latin America. Since 2011, it has been involved in biogas projects in Costa Rica: from technical training for different academic organisations and technical support to ICE in the framework of the 4E Programme of GIZ to feasibility studies and the design, construction and commissioning of biogas plants. The biogas plant from the company Sustratos de la Ribera is the second plant from AD Solutions in Costa Rica. 48
Biogas Journal | Autumn_2017 English Issue El Arreo and Matadero del Valle are among the four most important slaughterhouses in Costa Rica. Together they process about 1,800 animals per day for the national market. Both companies were looking in parallel for a solution to the environmental problem caused by the organic waste from their commercial activities and had already participated in the feasibility studies financed by 4E. The individual results were not encouraging, therefore both companies decided to unite and build a common biogas plant. The first step was establishing a new company, Sustratos de la Ribera S.A., which belongs equally to both companies, in what is known as a co-opetition model (cooperation and competition). The biogas plant is located in a neighbouring site to the industrial plant of El Arreo. It was designed by AD Solutions, which also supported the construction, purchase of equipment, installation and commissioning. ICE lent its support by assisting with the tax exemption process for the equipment and its installation. Each company provides feedstock for the biogas plant, where currently about 50 m 3 of slaughterhouse waste is being processed per day to generate 1,500 m 3 of biogas. According to Marco Sánchez, operator and manager of the plant, they hope to double the feedstock feed-in and produce 5,000 m 3 per day by the end of this year. Up to now, their biggest barrier to achieving this biogas production was the treatment of the digestate. Initially, digestate was treated in a waste water treatment plant, as well as in a composting plant, with limited receiving capacity. Dehydration machinery was recently acquired for the treatment of the digestate. The aim is for it to eventually be sold as organic fertiliser, creating a second source of income for the plant. However, special permissions are required for this, since biogas plants are still categorised as waste water treatment plants, and its effluents are therefore not to be spread on agricultural land. The biogas produced is sold to El Arreo, and they use it in a gas boiler to generate vapour for their processes. Both companies agreed on a price for biogas, which corresponds to the market price of the substituted fuel. Permission barriers The main barriers encountered in this project were the permission and tax exoneration processes. Sánchez explains that the whole permission process took about one year, which is normal for any construction work in Costa Rica. In this case, however, there was no clarity in the procedure to be followed, since there are no specific procedures for a biogas plant and the authorities responsible had difficulty categorising it. A similar problem was faced in respect of the tax exoneration process, as the authorities had no knowledge regarding the technology or its purpose. The financing of the project was also a difficult topic. GIZ supported the process by facilitating meetings with different banks; once again the lack of knowledge about renewable energies in the banking sector was apparent. AD Solutions also attended some of these meetings and offered support by explaining the technology and how it works. Ultimately it was possible to negotiate appropriate financial conditions to continue with the project. Another topic that had already been tackled by GIZ was the training of the plant operators. Sánchez explains that it was a whole new topic for him. He assisted the trainings offered by ICE and GIZ and he is still learning. He has the support of ICE as well as AD Solutions for biological and maintenance matters. Carsten Linnenberg, general manager of AD Solutions, explains that the implementation of biogas in the region is not necessarily more difficult than in Europe. The gas to grid upgrading plant in Ipsden, Oxfordshire (Great Britain) EnviThan – first class technology for biogas upgrading + Upgrading of biogas to biomethane + Simple, modular technology – integration within new build or existing AD facilities + More energy efficient and environmentally friendly than other upgrading technologies Planning, Construction, Start-up, Operation, Service EnviTec Biogas AG49 www.envitec-biogas.com
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Autumn 2017 EN

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