Description
One important pillar of renewable energy utilization is biogas production which both in Hungary and Norway has come to the fore and become a supported investment as a green technology. Biogas technologies based on agricultural input or sewage water have an important but not (effectively) solved aspect: utilization of the by-product digestate on arable land meets several problems despite the digestate having an excellent composition for sustaining/increasing the multifunctionality of soils. For example, the high volume of liquid phase digestate results in difficulties at its agricultural disposition, generating relatively high costs; remarkable part of the valuable nutrients can be volatilized and degraded during the digestate treatment; the water soluble plant nutrients can leek into the deeper soil layers thus hampering the nutrient utilization of plants. The main goal of this project is to solve the above mentioned problems in the frame of international R&D cooperation on the field of waste management. The result of the project will be a product prepared from biogas digestate, a non-hazardous waste for sustaining/increasing the multifunctionality of soils and the nutrient supply of plants. The raw materials used for product preparation will be bentonite rock as a mineral and biogas digestate as an organic matter. The main part of the project is based on experimental development. The goal of the research project is on the one hand, to create a knowledge base (know-how) for the production of the innovative target product (via laboratory experiments, measurements and their evaluation) and based on this knowledge, on the other hand, to create a prototype equipment for the production of the novel, organo-mineral complex at industrial scale. Technical equipment investment will be implemented for both the construction of prototype and supporting laboratory work.
Summary of project results
One important pillar of renewable energy utilization is biogas production which both in Hungary and Norway has come to the fore and become a supported investment as a green technology. Biogas technologies based on agricultural input or sewagewater have an important but not (effectively) solved aspect utilization of the by-product digestate on arable land meets several problems despite the digestate having an excellent composition for sustaining/increasing the multifunctionality of soils. For example, the high volume of liquid phase digestate results in difficulties at its agricultural disposition, generating relatively high costs; remarkable part of the valuable nutrients can be volatilized and degraded during the digestate treatment; others can leach into the deeper soil layers hampering the nutrient utilization of plants. The main goal of this project is to solve the above mentioned problems in the field of waste management. The result of the project will be a product prepared from biogas digestate, a non-hazardous waste for sustaining/increasing the multifunctionality of soils and the nutrient supply of plants. The raw materials used for product preparation will be bentonite rock as a mineral and biogas digestate as an organic matter. The bentonite will be used as a bearer with its montmorillonite content being suitable to adsorb nutrients from the digestate. Preparation of such material from digestate and bentonite will result in an organo-mineral complex which: decreases ammonia volatilization from the digestate; is produced as solid material of which storage, transportation and application in the land is cheaper and more efficient than those of the liquid residues ; can be utilized in a more economic way even far from the biogas plant; provides the long-term release of nutrients from the product; contributes to the improvement of soil structure by its clay content; improves soil fertility by enhancing soil microbiological properties. The main part of the project is based on experimental development. The goal is to create a knowledge base (know-how) for the production of the innovative target product, and development of a prototype equipment for the production of novel, organo-mineral complex at industrial scale. The prototype technology was implemented in containers in Bonyhad city, as a supporting technology of the biogas production unit of a Dairy farm. The new technology can be utilised everywhere it is needed because its portable property.
Summary of bilateral results
Tasks of the donor partner Norwegian Institute of Bioeconomy Research included the market research for fertilizers being present at the Norwegian market, and laboratory research and measurements related to product development (adsorption studies of P and N with different minerals in solid-liquid systems; plant uptake and leaching of N adsorbed to clay particles; assessment of plant nutrients availability in soils treated by organo-mineral complex materials).