ACTI-Mag improves organics digestion, Chemical Oxygen Demand (COD) reduction and pH stability but also increases biogas production in Ta Chana, Thailand.
case study summary
Challenges
- Low biogas production
- High Hydrogen Sulfide (H2S) levels
- Low Chemical Oxygen Demand (COD) reduction
- High instability
Objective
- Generate more biogas
- Generate more power
- Improve Chemical Oxygen Demand (COD)
- Improve stability
Solution
Download Success story
Calix presented their product ACTI-Mag to improve organics digestion, Chemical Oxygen Demand (COD) reduction, and pH stability and increases the biogas production to Ta Chana.
Download the PDF NowBenefits of ACTI-Mag
Improved biogas production
Improved pH stability
Improved COD percentage reduction
Improved system stability
Wastewater Process
Following the lab testing, wastewater treatment at the palm oil mill commenced. The wastewater from the plant arrived at the balancing pond at 80 + degrees celsius and the optimum temperature for a mesophilic anaerobic system is 37.5 degrees celsius. The second application at the balancing pond was to balance the flow to the anaerobic ponds each day as the plant wastewater stream can vary per day per hour. From the balancing ponds the wastewater goes into the dosing channels and into the anaerobic lagoon. On average the hydraulic retention time in the lagoon was 21 days.
The biogas produced from the anaerobic process was collected in the lagoon balloons and then sent to the H2S bio scrubbers. The limits of the H2S bio scrubbers was 5000 ppm. After the biogas is scrubbed and dewatered it goes to the biogas generators. The effluent from the anaerobic lagoon then goes to aerobic ponds to be further treated.
Introduction
Biogas production from wastewater streams is an ideal way to increase bioenergy production while reducing odours and CO2. The effluent load in untreated wastewater includes carbon, which can be converted into methane and burned to provide power. This makes biogas a viable source of renewable energy, especially for the agricultural sector.
With palm oil accounting for approximately 36% of global vegetable oil production in 2015 and only one tonne of palm oil produced for every six tonnes processed means there is a large amount of waste and wastewater.
The palm oil industry in Thailand processes more than 13 million tonnes of palm oil material in more than 90 processing plants. Many of these treat their wastewater streams through an anaerobic process which produces biogas energy and treats their wastewater simultaneously, providing a significant economic boost.
Three of the key parameters in maximising the economics of biogas generation from anaerobic systems are the management of hydrogen sulphide (H2S) formation, the quantity, and the quality of the biogas produced. The addition of an alkali is a critical part of maintaining pH and alkalinity, stability and ensure that the anaerobic system, performs at its optimum rate.
This case study was done on a Palm oil plant in Thailand that processed around 40 tonnes of palm oil per day and had a waste stream of 1000 – 500 m3 per day, treated by four anaerobic reactors. The effluent stream was turning it into power to run the plant, while also supplying electricity back onto the grid. The plant had a quota it needed to supply back onto the grid and was looking for ways to increase power generation and biogas quantity from its anaerobic reactors.
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