Cost and Profits: An Example
Biogas is a very profitable buisness, especially if organic substrates are easily available. This is especially the case in large food producing or processing companies or agricultural enterprises. This is an real example of the costs and profit calculations of a plant on the site of a food industry company, who produces fresh, frozen, cooked and tinned products from fish and meat with 480 employees. The figures are derived from a feasibility study carried out by AGIMUS GmbH, project coordinator of ProBIoPol, Germany.
Annual regular cost situation for treatment of organic wastes
Cost category | Calculations | Annual cost |
Treatment of fats and greases | 1,600 m3 / 17.9 € per m3 | 28,640.00 € |
Treatment of food wastes | 1,035 tons / 16.8 € per m3 | 17,388.00 € |
Aerobic treatment of liquids and water | 311,000.00 € | |
Electricty for liquid waste treatment | 45,000.00 € | |
Maintenance | 28,000.00 € | |
Staff | 25,000.00 € | |
total | 455,028.00 € |
Specifications of a biogas plant
Surface requirement | 250 m3 |
Capacity | 30 m3/h |
Volume (insulated) | 600 m3 |
Operating temperature | 35-38 °C |
Liquid treatment | 620 m3/d |
Wastes | 3.5 m3/d |
Fats | 3.5 m3/d |
Input temperature | 30 °C |
Average chemical oxygen demand incl. confermentate | 5,600 mg/l |
Maximal daily chemical oxygen demand | 3,500 kg |
Biogas yield | 53 m3/h |
Addtional feature: | 145 kW el |
Annual costs of biogas plant with/without polygeneration
Biogas variation A | Biogas variation B | |||
without polygeneration | with polygeneration | |||
Investment | 1.15 million € | Investment | 1.65 million € | |
Payback (amortisation) | 115,000.00 € | Payback (amortisation) | 165,000.00 € | |
Credit interests | 69,000.00 € | Credit interests | 99,000.00 € | |
NaOH (incl. pH) | 8,000.00 € | NaOH (incl. pH) | 8,000.00 € | |
N2 | 3,000.00 € | N2 | 3,000.00 € | |
Maintenance (full service) | 28,000.00 € | Maintenance (full service) | 29,017.50 € | |
Staff | 25,000.00 € | Staff | 15,000.00 € | |
Electricity | 18,000.00 € | Electricity | 18,000.00 € | |
total | 266,000.00 € | 377,017.50 € | ||
Savings* | 189,028.00 € | 118,010.50 € | ||
* compared with regular situation (see above) | ||||
Annual profits biogas plant with/without polygeneration
Biogas variation A | Biogas variation B | |||
without polygeneration | with polygeneration | |||
Biogas output | 464,280 m3 | Biogas output | 464,280 m3 | |
Energy content | 10,446,300 MJ | Energy content | 10,446,300 MJ | |
2,901,750 kWh | 2,901,750 kWh | |||
Electricity yield(40%) | 1,160,700.00 kWh | |||
Thermal yield (45%) | 1,305,787.50 kWh | |||
Profit (th) | 39,173.13 € | |||
Profit (gas only) | 87,052.50 € | Profit (el) | 127,677.00 € | |
Plus savings* | 189,028.00 € | 118,010.50 € | ||
Annual profit | 270,080.50 € | 284,861,13 € | ||
* compared with regular situation (see above) | ||||
Download Analysis
Example_Biogas_plant_for_Food_Industry_short_cost_analysis.pdf |