scholarly journals Renewable energy potential of anaerobic mono- and co-digestion of chicken manure, goat manure, potato peels and maize pap in South Africa

2021 ◽  
Vol 117 (11/12) ◽  
Author(s):  
S’busiso M. Nkosi ◽  
Inikile Lupuleza ◽  
Siyanda N. Sithole ◽  
Zenzile R. Zelda ◽  
Anthony N. Matheri

The energy sector is an essential part of a country’s economy – it drives innovation and advances in industrialisation. Coal is the primary source of energy in South Africa. Coal contributes 95% of energy production; coal-fired power also contributes to greenhouse gas emissions, and is thus a hazard to human health and the environment. This calls for an energy mix that is renewable, sustainable, and affordable and that is carbon neutral (climate action). We investigated the potential of anaerobic mono-and co-digestion of goat manure, chicken manure, potato peels, maize pap, and cow manure inoculum for mesophilic recovery of renewable energy using the biomethane potential test. The substrates were characterised through proximate and ultimate analyses to determine the composition preferable for mono- and co-digestion. The key considerations in the determination of both the yield and production rate of methane from digestion of biomass are the substrate composition and characterisation. A high percentage of volatile solids favoured optimum biomethane production as highly volatile components provide microbes with balanced nutrients that enhance metabolic processes to produce biomethane. The mono-digestion process produced lower biomethane than did co-digestion. Higher production of biomethane by co-digestion was due to the balance of the micronutrients and macronutrients that favoured microbial metabolism and regulation of pH.

2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (14) ◽  
pp. 5857
Author(s):  
Waldo van der Merwe ◽  
Alan C. Brent

The lauded Renewable Energy Independent Power Producer Procurement Program (REIPPPP) has achieved much in stimulating private sector investment in the renewable energy market in South Africa. Yet, 95% of electricity generated is still from a single source, the state-owned utility Eskom. This paper set out to explore the policy sphere governing electricity generation and identifying possible avenues that can contribute to a more vibrant solar energy market in the most solar abundant province of South Africa, the Northern Cape Province. Licensed mines were identified as low hanging fruit due to a large policy overlap and leeway within existing mining policy. A solar audit of these areas was performed, based on accepted multi-criteria decision analysis techniques, and found that a potential 369 TWh to 679 TWh per annum can be generated, exceeding South Africa’s current electricity usage.


2020 ◽  
Vol 7 (3) ◽  
pp. 106
Author(s):  
Harald Wedwitschka ◽  
Daniela Gallegos Ibanez ◽  
Franziska Schäfer ◽  
Earl Jenson ◽  
Michael Nelles

Chicken manure is an agricultural residue material with a high biomass potential. The energetical utilization of this feedstock via anaerobic digestion is an interesting waste treatment option. One waste treatment technology most appropriate for the treatment of stackable (non-free-flowing) dry organic waste materials is the dry batch anaerobic digestion process. The aim of this study was to evaluate the substrate suitability of chicken manure from various sources as feedstock for percolation processes. Chicken manure samples from different housing forms were investigated for their chemical and physical material properties, such as feedstock composition, permeability under compaction and material compressibility. The permeability under compaction of chicken manure ranged from impermeable to sufficiently permeable depending on the type of chicken housing, manure age and bedding material used. Porous materials, such as straw and woodchips, were successfully tested as substrate additives with the ability to enhance material mixture properties to yield superior permeability and allow sufficient percolation. In dry anaerobic batch digestion trials at lab scale, the biogas generation of chicken manure with and without any structure material addition was investigated. Digestion trials were carried out without solid inoculum addition and secondary methanization of volatile components. The specific methane yield of dry chicken manure was measured and found to be 120 to 145 mL/g volatile solids (VS) and 70 to 75 mL/g fresh matter (FM), which represents approximately 70% of the methane potential based on fresh mass of common energy crops, such as corn silage.


Energies ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 12 (3) ◽  
pp. 408 ◽  
Author(s):  
Michael Acheampong ◽  
Qiuyan Yu ◽  
Funda Cansu Ertem ◽  
Lucy Deba Enomah Ebude ◽  
Shakhawat Tanim ◽  
...  

Ghana has declared support for the UN Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) number seven which most importantly target ensuring universal access to affordable, reliable and modern energy services. This target presents a formidable challenge to Ghana because the country still relies mainly on traditional biomass as its primary source of energy coupled with a chronically fragile hydropower sector. In this study, we assess Ghana’s potential in achieving sustainable goal number seven. Specifically, we comprehensively review the breakthroughs and impediments Ghana has experienced in its efforts towards improving its renewable energy potential. We note that while Ghana has made significant stride toward attaining energy efficiency, its effort at large-scale biofuel development hit a snag due to issues of “land grabbing” emanating both from local and foreign entities. In another breadth, several pilot studies and research initiatives have demonstrated the possibility of diversifying the energy sector with other renewable energy options including solar, wind, and small hydro. In spite of challenges encountered with the development of biofuels, our review concludes that Ghana retains vast reserves of renewable energy potential, which can be harnessed with the constantly improving technological advancements as it pursues SDG number seven.


Jurnal MIPA ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 8 (3) ◽  
pp. 181
Author(s):  
Imriani Moroki ◽  
Alfrets Septy Wauran

Energi terbarukan adalah salah satu masalah energi paling terkenal saat ini. Ada beberapa sumber potensial energi terbarukan. Salah satu energi terbarukan yang umum dan sederhana adalah energi matahari. Masalah besar ketersediaan energi saat ini adalah terbatasnya sumber energi konvensional seperti bahan bakar. Ini semua sumber energi memiliki banyak masalah karena memiliki jumlah energi yang terbatas. Penting untuk membuat model dan analisis berdasarkan ketersediaan sumber energi. Energi matahari adalah energi terbarukan yang paling disukai di negara-negara khatulistiwa saat ini. Tergantung pada produksi energi surya di daerah tertentu untuk memiliki desain dan analisis energi matahari yang baik. Untuk memiliki analisis yang baik tentang itu, dalam makalah ini kami membuat model prediksi energi surya berdasarkan data iradiasi matahari. Kami membuat model energi surya dan angin dengan menggunakan Metode Autoregresif Integrated Moving Average (ARIMA). Model ini diimplementasikan oleh R Studio yang kuat dari statistik. Sebagai hasil akhir, kami mendapatkan model statistik solar yang dibandingkan dengan data aktualRenewable energy is one of the most fomous issues of energy today. There are some renewable energy potential sources. One of the common n simple renewable energy is solar energy. The big problem of the availability of energy today is the limeted sources of conventional enery like fuel. This all energy sources have a lot of problem because it has a limited number of energy. It is important to make a model and analysis based on the availability of the energy sources. Solar energy is the most prefered renewable energy in equator countries today. It depends on the production of solar energy in certain area to have a good design and analysis of  the solar energy. To have a good analysis of it, in this paper we make a prediction model of solar energy based on the data of solar irradiation. We make the solar and wind enery model by using Autoregresif Integrated Moving Average (ARIMA) Method. This model is implemented by R Studio that is a powerfull of statistical. As the final result, we got the statistical model of solar comparing with the actual data


2020 ◽  
pp. 165-171
Author(s):  
Iryna Hryhoruk

Exhaustion of traditional energy resources, their uneven geographical location, and catastrophic changes in the environment necessitate the transition to renewable energy resources. Moreover, Ukraine's economy is critically dependent on energy exports, and in some cases, the dependence is not only economic but also political, which in itself poses a threat to national security. One of the ways to solve this problem is the large-scale introduction and use of renewable energy resources, bioenergy in particular. The article summarizes and offers methods for assessing the energy potential of agriculture. In our country, a significant amount of biomass is produced every year, which remains unused. A significant part is disposed of due to incineration, which significantly harms the environment and does not allow earning additional funds. It is investigated that the bioenergy potential of agriculture depends on the geographical distribution and varies in each region of Ukraine. Studies have shown that as of 2019 the smallest share in the total amount of conventional fuel that can be obtained from agricultural waste and products suitable for energy production accounts for Zakarpattya region - 172.5 thousand tons. (0.5% of the total) and Chernivtsi region - 291.3 thousand tons. (0.9%). Poltava region has the greatest potential - 2652.2 thousand tons. (7.8%) and Vinnytsia - 2623.7 thousand tons. (7.7%). It should be noted that the use of the energy potential of biomass in Ukraine can be called unsatisfactory. The share of biomass in the provision of primary energy consumption is very small. For bioenergy to occupy its niche in the general structure of the agro-industrial complex, it is necessary to develop mechanisms for its stimulation. In addition, an effective strategy for the development of the bioenergy sector of agriculture is needed. The article considers the general energy potential of agriculture, its indicative structure. The analysis is also made in terms of areas. In addition, an economic assessment of the possible use of existing potential is identified.


Jurnal Kimia ◽  
2016 ◽  
Author(s):  
Devi Esteria Hasianna Purba ◽  
Iryanti Eka Suprihatin ◽  
A.A.I.A. Mayun Laksmiwati

Ethanol fermented from potato peels is proposed as one alternative source of renewable energy called bioethanol. In this research bioethanol was produced through four stages namely acid hydrolysis, detoxification, fermentation and distillation. The acid hydrolysis process was carried out using sulphuric acid at 100oC for 60 minutes. The detoxification process was carried out by adding NH4OH into the hydrolyzate prior to fermentation. Distillation was performed up to 100oC and the distillate with the BP of 78-84oC was determined for its ethanol content using gas chromatography. The ethanol produced from 5 grams of dried potato peels through fermentation for 4, 5, 6, and 7 days 3.54%; 4,85%; 5,35%; and 6.15% respectively.


Energies ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 14 (5) ◽  
pp. 1497
Author(s):  
Chankook Park ◽  
Minkyu Kim

It is important to examine in detail how the distribution of academic research topics related to renewable energy is structured and which topics are likely to receive new attention in the future in order for scientists to contribute to the development of renewable energy. This study uses an advanced probabilistic topic modeling to statistically examine the temporal changes of renewable energy topics by using academic abstracts from 2010–2019 and explores the properties of the topics from the perspective of future signs such as weak signals. As a result, in strong signals, methods for optimally integrating renewable energy into the power grid are paid great attention. In weak signals, interest in large-capacity energy storage systems such as hydrogen, supercapacitors, and compressed air energy storage showed a high rate of increase. In not-strong-but-well-known signals, comprehensive topics have been included, such as renewable energy potential, barriers, and policies. The approach of this study is applicable not only to renewable energy but also to other subjects.


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