Feasibility study of biogas energy generation from refuse dump in a community-based distribution in Nigeria
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Date
2019-04-03
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Oxford University Press
Abstract
Energy generation remains one of the biggest challenges of developing nations like Nigeria. The World Bank
estimated that ~80 million (44.4%) out of 180 million Nigerians living in 8000 villages across the country
lack access to electricity. Lack of access to electricity to stimulate small- and medium-scale enterprises in rural
communities is believed to be a major factor responsible for rural—urban migration and the lingering emigration
crises across the globe. In this study, three different wastes generated were combined in a locally fabricated
digester and each singly loaded in respective digesters to generate energy in the form of biogas with an
anticipation of redistribution for a community-based use. The biodegradability test of the substrates were
studied ab initio by evaluating for ash and moisture contents, C/N ratio, biochemical oxygen demand (BOD)
and chemical oxygen demand (COD) for maize chaff, watermelon and cassava peels. The results showed
2.85, 0.66 and 2.40% for ash content, 11.18, 93.22 and 70.26% for moisture content, 12.10, 15.10 and 19.10%
for C/N ratio, 155.07, 131.96 and 113.79 ppm for BOD, and 240.00, 212.00 and 264.00 ppm for the substrates,
respectively. From the results, maize chaff with the highest ash content has the least biodegradable (organic)
matter, while watermelon, with the least ash content, has the highest biodegradable matter. The moisture content
results for maize chaff and watermelon were below and above the optimum value of ‘60–80%’ and this
confirmed the low biogas volume produced when used alone. The ideal C/N ratio for anaerobic digestion is
between ‘20:1 and 30:1’. A comparison of these sets of values from the study showed that the C/N ratios
obtained from the research work are below the optimum values of the C/N ratios and could be responsible
for the poor biogas yield for the disjoined substrates. The biogas volume of 2100 ml was produced at the end
of the retention time for the combined substrates and, was higher compared with the 18, 25 and 29ml produced
for maize chaff, watermelon and cassava peels, (the disjoined) substrates, respectively. In this study, the
COD value for each substrate is higher than the corresponding BOD values. Hence, co-digestion of unavoidable
food wastes is economic and, a potentially viable option to generate alternative renewable energy for rural
community-based use.
Description
CEFTER
Keywords
energy generation, wastes, biogas, biodegradability, Benue State University, Nigeria, CEFTER, Rural community
Citation
doi:10.1093/ijlct/ctz011