Feasibility study on the potential methane fuel production via anaerobic digestion of organic waste in Hérað
Author
Alonso Villar, Albert
Term
4. Term
Publication year
2018
Submitted on
2018-06-07
Pages
81
Abstract
Denne afhandling undersøger, om produktion af transportkvalitet metan via anaerob nedbrydning af organisk affald i Hérað (Østisland) er teknisk, miljømæssigt og økonomisk gennemførlig. Baggrunden er, at Island trods næsten fuldt vedvarende el stadig er afhængig af importerede fossile brændsler i transportsektoren, særligt i tung transport, og samtidig ønsker at reducere deponering af affald. Projektets forskningsspørgsmål adresserer potentialet for at omdanne lokalt organisk affald til metanbrændstof, hvilke miljøeffekter (især drivhusgasudledning) der kan opnås, og om en lokal biogasanlægsløsning er økonomisk levedygtig under islandske forhold. Teoretisk bygger studiet på industriel økologi og cost-benefit-tilgang. Metodisk kombineres litteraturstudie med procesmodellering af et standard biogasanlæg (med opgradering af biogas til metan), fastlæggelse af systemgrænser og antagelser for anlægsdesign, karakterisering af affaldsstrømme, masse- og energibalancer, livscyklusvurdering af drivhusgasemissioner, økonomisk analyse (fx NPV/IRR) og følsomhedsanalyser; desuden vurderes anvendelse af digestat som gødning. Analysen sættes ind i den islandske kontekst for affaldshåndtering og brændstofbehov i tung transport. Uddraget her indeholder ikke resultatafsnittets tal og konklusioner; afhandlingen præsenterer senere kvantificerede resultater for metanpotentiale, udledningspåvirkninger, omkostninger og usikkerheder samt potentialet for at substituere fossile brændsler og reducere deponering i Østisland.
This thesis evaluates the technical, environmental, and economic feasibility of producing transport-grade methane via anaerobic digestion of organic waste in Hérað (East Iceland). The study is motivated by Iceland’s continued reliance on imported fossil fuels in the transport sector—especially heavy transport that is hard to electrify—and by national goals to reduce landfilling and improve waste management. The research question focuses on how much methane could be produced from local organic waste, what environmental impacts (notably greenhouse gas emissions) would result, and whether a local biogas plant is financially viable under Icelandic conditions. Theoretical grounding is provided by industrial ecology and cost–benefit analysis. Methods include a literature review; process modeling of a standard biogas plant with biogas upgrading to methane; defined system boundaries and design assumptions; feedstock characterization; mass and energy balances; life cycle assessment of greenhouse gas emissions; economic evaluation (e.g., NPV/IRR); and sensitivity analyses, alongside consideration of digestate use as fertilizer. The analysis is framed within Iceland’s waste management and heavy transport context. Numerical findings are not included in this excerpt; the thesis later reports quantified methane potentials, emissions impacts, cost indicators, and uncertainties, and discusses the potential to displace fossil fuels and divert waste from landfill in East Iceland.
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