Good Practice: Chumporn applied biogas technology for advanced wastewater management project, Thailand

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Summary: The project activity is the introduction of anaerobic wastewater treatment with biogas collection and utilisation in Thai palm oil industry. Up to now, traditional anaerobic open pond systems are commonly applied in Thai palm oil industry. The tank-reactor technology commonly applied in industrialised countries has been adapted for Thai conditions - the result is the A-CSTR (Appropriate - Complete Stirred Tank Reactor) - in co-operation with the University of Wageningen, Netherlands. Thus, the envisaged project uses state of the art technology that results in a significantly better performance than commonly used technologies in palm oil industry in Thailand.

Biogas generated from project activity approximately 20,700 m³ of biogas per day will be used for replacement of fuel oil and oil palm shell which is currently used to generate steam in Refinery plant.

The "Chumporn applied biogas technology for advanced waste water management" project will reduce GHG-emissions in two following ways, which has total GHG emission reduction of 45,749 tons CO₂-equivalent per year:

1. The reduction of methane emissions released to the atmosphere by the existing anaerobic open pond treatment system, and
2. The reduction of CO₂ emissions resulting from the burning of fossil fuels within the production process of the facility.

Aims: The purpose of the Chumporn applied biogas technology for advanced wastewater management is to shift from traditional wastewater treatment in open, anaerobic ponds with uncontrolled release of methane to the atmosphere to a closed tank digester system with biogas capture and utilization and thus to contribute to an economically, environmentally and socially sustainable development of Thai palm oil industry.

Summary of Results: Biogas produced from A-CSTR palm oil wastewater treatment system approximately 20,700 m³ per day shall be used to replace fuel oil and oil palm shell, for steam generation, shell approximately 530,363 litres/year and 7,650 tons/year respectively. Biogas will be utilised in two steam boilers; a high pressure boiler (90 bars) and a low pressure boiler (30 bars).

Operation Time: Expected plant's life time is 12.5 years. (10 years as pessimistic, 15 years as optimistic scenario)

Feasibility Study: The project activity will provide FIRR (base case) 10.45% with the project's payback period of 8 years and 3 months. Fuel prices constitute the major parameter influencing the project's economic attractiveness. As a sensitivity analysis reveals, the payback period is reduced to be 6 years and 6 months, if fuel prices increase by 20% and the FIRR would be increased to be 15.66%. On the contrary, if fuel prices decrease by 20%, the payback period increases to be 11 years and 6 months, and FIRR shall be decrease to be 4.49%.

To find similar reports, click on a keyword below:
Agro-industry and Forest Industry : Bioconversion of Biomass : Biogas : Biomass and Bioenergy : CDM : Fuel Switching : Manufacturing Industries : Power Generation and Use : Renewable Energy Technologies : Wastes and Residues

Deutsche Gesellschaft für Technische Zusammenarbeit (GTZ) GmbH

Chumporn Palm Oil Industry Public Company Limited

Natural Power Co Ltd