Environmental Engineering Reference
In-Depth Information
2.4 Bunker silo for storage of solid feedstock.
and digestate at several smaller storage facilities may be a good option for
very large biogas plants or for plants where very large transport distances
are involved. This allows, on the one hand, the use of larger trucks for
efficient transport between the biogas plant and the storage facility and, on
the other, the ability to use smaller agricultural field vehicles that are not too
heavy and do not lead to soil compaction.
The logistics of the digestate are influenced by its anticipated use and
further treatment. When digestate is used as fertilizer, its storage facilities
have to be large enough to meet national requirements such as fertilization
regulations. In Europe, a minimum storage capacity of six months for
digestate is required in most countries. This allows good fertilizer manage-
ment in the framework of good agricultural practices. Figure 2.5 shows a
storage facility for digestate in the Lemvig area of Denmark, located in the
vicinity of the fields where digestate is to be applied as fertilizer.
The type of feedstock, size of the biogas plant and the size of the transport
vehicles all influence the needs for transport infrastructure, meaning access
and suitability of the roads that are mainly used. Improperly planned road
access can lead to negative impacts such as deviations due to restricted road
access for heavy transport and agricultural vehicles, and conflicts with
neighboring residents.
The vehicles used for the transport of biomass differ according to the
characteristics of the transported materials. Animal slurries, liquid manures,
liquid wastes and liquid digestate are usually transported by vacuum tankers
(Fig. 2.6). Solid wastes are transported by bin lorries, while energy crops are
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