New energy crop giant cane (Arundo donax L.) can substitute traditional energy crops increasing biogas yield and reducing costs. (September 2015)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Corno, Luca; Pilu, Roberto; Tambone, Fulvia; Scaglia, Barbara; Adani, Fabrizio
• Is Part Of: Bioresource technology. Volume 191(2015)
• Page Start: 197
• Page End: 204
• Publication Date: 2015-09
• Subjects: Arundo donax -- Biogas -- CP-MAS 13C NMR -- CSTR approach -- Energy crop; Biomass -- Periodicals; Biomass energy -- Periodicals; Bioremediation -- Periodicals; Agricultural wastes -- Periodicals; Factory and trade waste -- Periodicals; Organic wastes -- Periodicals; Bioénergie -- Périodiques; Déchets agricoles -- Périodiques; Déchets industriels -- Périodiques; Déchets organiques -- Périodiques; Déchets (Combustible) -- Périodiques; 662.88
• DOI: 10.1016/j.biortech.2015.05.015
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0960-8524

Abstract

Highlights: Giant cane is a promising energy crop producing biogas. Biogas lab-scale tests compared giant cane and corn. Because of high biomass production, giant cane produced much more biogas than corn Ha −1 . The use of giant cane allows the strong reduction of cost in producing electricity or biomethane. Abstract: Giant cane is a promising non-food crop for biogas production. Giant cane and corn silages coming from full-scale fields were tested, in mixtures with pig slurry, for biomethane production by a continuous stirred tank lab-scale-reactor (CSTR) approach. Results indicated that giant cane produced less biomethane than corn, i.e. 174 ± 10 N m 3 CH4 Mg −1 TS −1 and 245 ± 26 N m 3 CH4 Mg −1 TS −1, respectively. On the other hand, because of its high field biomass production, the biogas obtainable per Ha was higher for giant cane than for corn, i.e. 12, 292 N m 3 CH4 Ha −1 and 4549 N m 3 CH4 Ha −1, respectively. Low energetic and agronomic inputs for giant cane cultivation led to a considerable reduction in the costs of producing both electricity and biomethane, i.e. 0.50 € Nm −3 CH4 −1 and 0.81 € Nm −3 CH4 −1, and 0.10 € kW hEE −1 and 0.19 € kW hEE −1 for biomethane and electricity production, and for giant cane and corn mixtures respectively.