Anaerobic digestion of by-products of sugar beet and starch potato processing

• Published in: Biomass & bioenergy Vol. 33; no. 4; pp. 620 - 627
• Main Authors: Kryvoruchko, Vitaliy, Machmüller, Andrea, Bodiroza, Vitomir, Amon, Barbara, Amon, Thomas
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Kidlington Elsevier Ltd 01.04.2009; Elsevier
• Subjects: anaerobic digesters; Anaerobic digestion; Applied sciences; Biogas; Biomass; By-products; Energy; Exact sciences and technology; food processing wastes; methane; methane production; Methane yield; Natural energy; plant byproducts; Potato fruit water; Potato peel pulp; potato starch; potatoes; pretreatment; protein content; silage; Solanum tuberosum; starch; steaming; sugar beet; Sugar beet pulp; Sugar beet tail; sugar content; waste utilization; Sugar beet tail; By-products; Potato peel pulp; Sugar beet pulp; Methane yield; Potato fruit water; Biogas; Anaerobic digestion; Methane; Biomass; Experimental study; Water vapor; Operating conditions; Potato starch; Production; Sugar beet; Pretreatment; Recycling; By product
• ISSN: 0961-9534; 1873-2909
• DOI: 10.1016/j.biombioe.2008.10.003

Anaerobic digestion (AD) is a promising option for the environmentally friendly recycling of agricultural by-products. However, overloading of the digester with sugar, starch or protein might cause inhibition of the anaerobic processes. The aim of the present project was to investigate the AD of sugar beet, starch potato by-products and effect of pre-treatment by steam on methane yield of potatoes pulp. The investigated by-products have been: sugar beet pulp silage (SBP), sugar beet tail silage (SBT), potato pulp (PP), potato peel pulp (PPP) and potato fruit water (PFW). All by-products were digested in 1 l eudiometer-batch digesters at 37.5 °C during 28–38 days. The specific methane yields of SBP and SBT were 430 and 481 l N kg −1 volatile solids (VS), respectively. The specific methane yields of PP, PPP and PFW were 332, 377 and 323 l N (kg VS) −1. A steam pre-treatment significantly increased the specific methane yield of PP up to 373 l N (kg VS) −1.