Trace compounds affecting biogas energy utilisation – A review

This paper investigates the trace compounds affecting energy utilisation in biogas that come from different production sites. With biogas being more widely used in different energy applications more interest has arisen for the specific composition of biogas. In traditional energy applications, methane and hydrogen sulphide contents have had the most influence when energy utilisation application has been considered. With more advanced processes also the quantity and quality of trace compounds is more important.In regards to trace compounds, it was found that the concentrations and the variations of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) can be high in different landfills, especially, with compounds originating from the biological degradation process (like aromatics and terpenes) as seasonal variations affect the biological degradation. Trace compounds produced by direct volatilisation (halogenated and silicon compounds) show a smaller seasonal variation. Halogenated compounds are rarely present in high concentrations in waste water treatment plant (WWTP) biogas, but the concentrations of organic silicon compounds and their variation is high. Organic silicon compounds are usually detected only in low concentrations in co-digestion plant biogas, when no WWTP sludge is used as a raw material.

► In regards to trace compounds, landfill gases are the most studied biogases.
► More strict requirements are set for biogas purity with new biogas applications.
► With traditional applications, small variations in biogas quality are acceptable.
► New requirements set challenges on raw material control and biogas quality.
► In this study, variations in analysing methods and biogas quality are discussed.