Problems of energy security, diversification of energy sources, and improvement of technologies (including alternatives) for obtaining motor fuels have become a priority of science and practice today. Many scientists devote their scientific research to the problems of obtaining effective brands of alternative (reformulated) motor fuels. Our scientific school also deals with the problems of the rational use of traditional and alternative motor fuels.This article focused on advances in motor fuel synthesis using natural, associated, or biogas. Different raw materials are used for GTL technology: biomass, natural and associated petroleum gases. Modern approaches to feed gas purification, development of Gas-to-Liquid-technology based on Fischer–Tropsch synthesis, and liquid hydrocarbon mixture reforming are considered.Biological gas is produced in the process of decomposition of waste (manure, straw, grain, sawdust waste), sludge, and organic household waste by cellulosic anaerobic organisms with the participation of methane fermentation bacteria. When 1 tonne of organic matter decomposes, 250 to 500–600 cubic meters of biogas is produced. Experts of the Bioenergy Association of Ukraine estimate the volume of its production at 7.8 billion cubic meters per year. This is 25% of the total consumption of natural gas in Ukraine. This is a significant raw material potential for obtaining liquid hydrocarbons for components of motor fuels.We believe that the potential for gas-to-liquid synthetic motor fuels is associated with shale and coalfield gases (e.g. mine methane), methane hydrate, and biogas from biomass and household waste gases.
Managing dairy excreta as slurry can result in significant emissions of ammonia (NH3) and greenhouse gases (GHGs) during storage and thereafter. Additionally, slurry often has an imbalanced nitrogen (N) to phosphorus (P) ratio for crop fertilization. While various treatments exist to address emissions and nutrient imbalances, each has trade-offs that can result in pollution swapping. An integrated management system, starting with source segregation (SS) in-house to separate faeces and urine into two manageable streams followed by step-wise complementary treatments has been designed to manage nutrients and reduce emissions in the whole chain, but its effect on emissions in storage remains untested. This study investigated NH3, nitrous oxide (N2O), and methane (CH4) emissions and total N losses from integrated storage systems combining SS, mesophilic or thermophilic anaerobic digestion (AD), acidification, drying and zeolite addition and an impermeable cover. These systems were compared to two reference slurry storage systems: in-house uncovered (US) and outside covered (CS). A 30-day lab-scale experiment was conducted at 10 °C, monitoring emissions using an INNOVA1412 gas analyser, while total N losses were assessed using mass balance. Results indicated that the SS fractions treated before covered storage exhibited significantly lower emissions (NH3 or CH4 or both) compared to both reference slurry storage systems (US and CS). Source segregation combined with acidification of urine and AD of faeces at 35 °C and an impermeable cover allowed for a 99% reduction in NH3 emissions, a 45% reduction in CH4 emissions and had no effect on N2O emissions as compared to US. When AD of faeces was conducted at 55 °C instead of 35 °C, the CH4 emission was reduced by 77% compared to US. This study concludes that SS combined with urine and faeces treatment allows a more effective and simultaneous reduction of all emissions in storage as compared to slurry storage systems, while also effectively separating nutrients allowing more precise N and P fertilization with dairy excreta. Further research is necessary to assess emissions and fertilizer value of treated fractions after field application, in addition to the associated costs.
LINK
This Workpackage designs and implements ways of communication on the progress and results of the Power to Methane project to the outside world by means of target group differentiation, communication plan, design of an appropriate project logo and overall incentive to tell the world what we are doing, how and why.
