Evaluation of Changes in the Chemical Composition of Grasses as a Result of the Methane Fermentation Process and Biogas Production Efficiency

Methane fermentation, which is one of the key processes in biogas production, plays an important role in the conversion of biomass to energy. During this process, changes occur in the chemical composition of organic feedstocks, including the chemical composition of grasses. The assessment of these c...

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Published inEnergies (Basel) Vol. 17; no. 16; p. 4100
Main Authors Waliszewska, Bogusława, Waliszewska, Hanna, Grzelak, Mieczysław, Majchrzak, Leszek, Gaweł, Eliza, Murawski, Maciej, Sieradzka, Agnieszka, Vaskina, Iryna, Spek-Dźwigała, Agnieszka
Format Journal Article
LanguageEnglish
Published Basel MDPI AG 01.08.2024
Subjects
Agricultural production
Alternative energy sources
Analysis
Biogas
biogas plant
Biomass energy
Carbon dioxide
Cellulose
chemical composition
Efficiency
Energy resources
Ethanol
Experiments
Fermentation
Gases
Grasses
Laboratories
Lignin
Methane
Production processes
Raw materials
renewable energy
Renewable resources
Poland
Germany
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Summary:Methane fermentation, which is one of the key processes in biogas production, plays an important role in the conversion of biomass to energy. During this process, changes occur in the chemical composition of organic feedstocks, including the chemical composition of grasses. The assessment of these changes is crucial for the efficiency and productivity of biogas production. The material for this study comprised fully mature grass blades with leaves and inflorescences and was collected from extensively used meadows and pastures, as well as cultivated and set-aside areas in the Wielkopolskie Voivodeship, the communes of Białośliwie and Trzcianka, Poland. The aim of this study was to compare methane fermentation efficiency in nine grass species and identify the biomass component involved in biogas production. The results indicate that the fermentation process, as expected, changed the cellulose content. The lignin content of the grasses before fermentation varied more than the cellulose content. The content of holocellulose (sum of carbohydrate components) in the grasses ranged from 59.77 to 72.93% before fermentation. Methane fermentation significantly reduced the carbohydrate content in the grasses, with a low degree of polymerization. Grassland biomass-based biogas production is a viable alternative to conventional fossil fuels.
ISSN:1996-1073
1996-1073
DOI:10.3390/en17164100