Sci.Int.

(Lahore), 23(4),325-326,2011

ISSN 1013-5316; CODEN: SINTE 8

69

A STUDY ON ECONOMIC FEASIBILITY OF BIOGAS PLANT FOR

A SMALL TOWN
Shahid Hussain Ansari1, Muhammad Saleem Khan2, Muhammad Salman Haider2, Ayyaz Ahmad2,
Muhammad Ajaz Ahmed2
e-mail: ipofficer@gmail.com
School of Chemical & Materials Engg. NUST. Islamabad, Pakistan
2
Dept. of Chemical Engg. , Univ. of Gujrat, Gujrat, Pakistan

ABSTRACT: Energy crisis is one of the major problems of our country now a day. We should emphasis on
new energy resources to fulfill our demand. In renewable energy resources, biogas is one of them. Biogas is
produced by anaerobic digestion of organic matters. In anaerobic digestion, biodegradable materials are
decomposed into biogas by bacteria in the absence of air. Kitchen waste contain large amount of these
biodegradable materials. The report of economic feasibility for biogas plant using kitchen waste of housing
colony consisting of 200 houses for power generation and cooking purposes is carried out.
Keywords: Anaerobic digestion, Kitchen waste, Biogas.
INTRODUCTION
The term renewable energy resources mean that energy
produces from the sustainable resources. The most
renewable energy resources used are biomass, geothermal,
wind and solar energy. As conventional energy resources are
going to decline, we should think about on renewable energy
resources. For energy, the world depends on the fossil fuels
such as oil, gas and coal. The population of worlds
stabilization will need the increase use of fuel as oil and gas
resultantly these resources will be depleted in near future.
The utilization of renewable energy resources will be
beneficial for this world. This utilization of renewable
energy resources will fulfill our energy requirement and also
have no effect on our environment. These are eco friendly
resources [4].
The shortfall of fuel and electricity in Pakistan is an
indication for us to decrease our dependence on
conventional fuel resources and find the new sustainable
resources such as renewable resources. Pakistan has proved
potential for renewable energy resources such as wind, solar
and biomass. Utilization of these renewable energy resources
save our foreign reserves and also create new employment
opportunities. Through these resources, we will be able not
only to meet energy demand but also minimize
environmental contamination. [2]
Among the renewable energy resources, biogas is one of big
renewable energy resource. World in general; while Europe
is specially working on this kind of renewable energy
resource. Energy can be produced by biogas for various
applications and thus raise the living standard of people.
Biogas can be produced from different feed stocks in which
mainly are municipal solid waste, animals manure, distillery
spent, kitchen waste and dairy manure. In Pakistan, biogas is
mainly produced from animal manure or distillery spent. In
world, kitchen waste is most preferable feedstock for kitchen
waste because it has maximum biodegradable materials. In
past lot of research has been done on biogas generation from
conventional feedstock, but kitchen waste is not used as
feedstock for biogas generation. Normally it is land filled,
which pollutes ground water. The biogas generation from
kitchen waste is not only help to carry out our fuel
requirement but also keep our environment clean. [5]
The purpose of this paper is to check the feasibility
study of biogas plant in a housing colony consist of 200
houses. The biogas plant in housing colony not only provide

gas and electricity requirement but also it provide a proper

management of kitchen waste which lead to better health and
hygienic condition and also decay the green house gases like
carbon monoxide and carbon dioxide.
REQUIREMENT OF BIO-GAS
a) For cooking energy required:
Food for single person = 2kg
At 100 0C, 600 grams water evaporate, after that food we get
is 1.4kg [3]
Specific heat of food
= 2.7 kJ/kg K
Normal temperature
= 25 C
For a single person, energy requirement can be calculated as
follow
EC = mCPT - Latent Heat
= 2 2.7(100-25) 0.6 2256
= 1758.6 kJ
Taking the gas stove efficiency 60%, then the per person
energy requirement will be 1758.6 / 0.6 = 2931 kJ
Taking 1000 persons of housing colony of 200 houses, then
energy requirement will be 2931 1000= 2,931,000 kJ
Lower heating value of gas = 17500kJ / m3
Biogas required
= 2,931,000 / 17500=167 m3
Biogas for theses requirement annually = 167 365 =
60,955 m3
b) Electricity requirement for colony:
For lighting purpose: In each house there is 5 bulbs of 40
watts which will operate 12 hours daily then energy require
will be
= 5 40 12 200=480 kWh
For the purpose of water pumping:
Water consumed by a single person = 120 liter
Water consumed by a family per day = 120 5 = 600 liter
For 200 families
= 200 600=120,000 liter /
day
4 hours are required for pump to work; the head required is
21.336 m
Pump has to pump
= 120,000 / 3600 4
= 8.33 liter / sec
Pump required power is given by = 8.33 21.336 9.81 =
1743.52 W
Rating of pump
= 1743.52 / (1000 0.746)
= 2.34 HP (1.75 kW)
Taking the efficiency of pump 90%
Pumps Brake HP
= 2.34 / 0.90 =2.6 HP (1.94 kW)

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ISSN 1013-5316; CODEN: SINTE 8

We considered all frictions and other losses so we take pump

of 3.0 HP
3.5 HP pump required power = 3.5 0.746= 2.24 kW
For 4 Hours operation
= 4 2.24= 8.96 kW / day
Electricity required for Fan:
No. of Fans in each house = 03
Each Fan use electricity = 100 watt
Fans use electricity in each house = 03 100 = 300 watt
For whole colony = 300 200
= 60,000 watt = 60 KWh
For 12 hours operation = 12 60
= 720 KWh
Total Power to be generated:
Total power = Lighting + pumping of water+ for fans
= 480 + 8.96 + 720
= 1209 kWh /day
Requirement of electricity generated annually = 1209 365
= 441,285kWh
Table-1. Energy Potential of Colony Biogas Plant: Feed stock
materials and biogas energy potential
Feed material
Beef cattle
manure
Dairy
manure
MWS*
Household
waste

Total
solids %

Volatile
solids %

Biogas
yield
m3 /ton

Methane
content %

8-12

80-85

19-46

53

12

80-85

25-32

54

20-30

90

17-140

65

15

88

143-214

63

*Municipal wastewater sludge

Calculation
Number of houses = 200
Kitchen waste per house per week = 5kg
Amount of kitchen waste annually = 5 200 52
= 52,000= 52 tone
Biogas produced from kitchen waste = 157 52
= 8,164 m3
Biogas utilized in cooking and other purposes = 60,955 m3
1 m3 of biogas produces electricity = 1.7 Kwh
1 m3 of biogas produces heat
= 7.7 MJ
Electricity produced from biogas = 1.7 8,164= 13,879
Kwh
Heat produce from biogas
= 7.7 8,164= 62,863 MJ =
63 GJ
Cost of electricity
= Rs 7.23/ Kwh
Cost of heat
= Rs 960 / 1 GJ
Savings from electricity
= 13,879 7.23 = Rs 100,345
Saving from heat
= 63 960 = Rs 60,480
Total savings
= 100,345 + 60,480 = Rs
160,825
Capital cost of biogas plant producing 1Kwh electricity = Rs
425,000
Assuming 30 days in year for maintenance shut down then
operating days per year = 335
In 24 hours per day operation, the generator capacity
= 13,879 / 335 / 24
= 1.73 kWh
Total cost of a system
= 1.73 425,000
Capital cost
= Rs 735,250

Sci.Int. (Lahore), 23(4),325-326,2011

Operating cost per 1kWh

= Rs 1.7
Operating cost per annul
= 1.7 13,879= Rs 23,594
Net Revenue after subtracting operating cost
= Rs (160,825-23,594) = Rs 137,231
Payback period
= 735,250 / 137,231 = 5.35 years
RESULTS AND DISCUSSION
Carbon credits may help to reduce the simple payback
period. It is estimated that producing 1 MW of renewable
energy is approximately equivalent to reducing 0.65 tones of
CO2 emissions.
We may install biogas plants in country side of Pakistan
where gas or electricity is not available and raw material is
presented in large amount.
However, the co-digestion process may result in increased
nutrient value in the digestate. Therefore, approval from
Pakistan Environment Agency and more testing during land
application may be required.
CONCLUSION
The typical simple payback for a biogas plant may be about
six years as long as the existing government incentive
program is available and biogas energy is produced
continuously without interruption except for scheduled
regular maintenance. Even though anaerobic digestion is a
very old process, implementation of this process
successfully on the commercial scale for producing energy is
still evolving. Emergency shut down in the process shows
that the technology and process related knowledge still have
to improve. Despite these drawbacks, the potential for
carbon trading and increased consumer awareness regarding
practicing environmentally sound and sustainable
agricultural production methods will certainly add to the
benefits of continuing to work with this technology.
REFERENCES
1. Angelidaki I., Ellegaard L., Codigestion of manure and
organic wastes in centralized biogas plants. Applied
biochemistry and biotechnology, Vol. 209, 95-99, 2003.
2. Asif M., Sustainable Energy Option in Pakistan,
Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, 13 (4)
903-909, 2009.
3. Nijaguna B. T., Biogas Technology, New Age
International Publishers, 2006.
4. Sorensen B., Renewable Energy, its physics, use,
environmental impacts, economy and planning aspects.
189, 255-260, 1975.
5. Yong-Jin P., Evaluation of operational parameters in
thermophilic acid fermentation of kitchen waste, J.
Mater. Cycles Waste Manag, Vol. 10, 46-52, 2008.