The project will investigate what types of briquettes or pellets are most suited to biogas production.

How it works
The shift from fossil fuels to biofuels is a huge challenge, and one that will require considerable headway in biogas production. If all the straw that is left on the fields of Västra Götaland were digested into biogas, it would equal about 1 terawatt hour of energy. Yet straw is as yet an untapped resource.

The project will determine what type of straw treatment and compression methods are most cost-efficient and conduct digestion tests to evaluate what type of treated straw is most effective in biogas production.

The project will also assess the durability of straw briquettes and straw pellets and how well they withstand transportation. The results of the project are expected in September 2012.

Many benefits to straw
• For farmers with biogas plants, straw will be yet another substrate to use in biogas production.
• Straw can be a source of income for farmers who wish to sell it on to other biogas producers.
• A nitrogen/carbon disequilibrium can occur in larger plants using several substrates. The carbon-rich straw can help balance this disequilibrium and contribute to a more stable digestion process.
• Straw does not compete with food production.

Several stakeholders involved
The "Straw as a biogas substrate" project is one of seven Swedish sub-projects under the blanket EU BioM project coordinated by Agroväst in Skara.

It is being conducted in collaboration with experts from Norway and Denmark. Business Region Göteborg is responsible for the implementation of the sub-project.

The overall aim of all BioM biogas projects is to develop biogas production in the countries surrounding the  Skagerak and Kattegatt. The project will continue until late autumn 2012.
More information is available on BioM's website: www.biom-kask.eu