Incidentally, Hyderabad-based Spectrum Renewable Energy Private Ltd is expected to provide the bio-CNG and an engine of a commercial vehicle for detailed testing that will include testing of emission levels, engine performance under different conditions and other technical specifications.

Primary tests even revealed sufficient generation of bio-CNG is cost-effective. And, it’s for the first time that compressed natural gas is produced from bagasse of sugar factory. Agharkar Research Institute has,incidentally, helped in extracting methane from biogas and converting biogas into CNG presently being used as fuel in New Delhi, Mumbai and Pune.

In order to create an estimate of production and conversion costs, fuel efficiency and money saved if vehicles run on bio-CNG than conventional alternatives, the ministry had asked for tests to be conducted. The first pilot project is set up at Warnanagar near Kolhapur.

Compressed Natural Gas happens to be a very viable alternative to traditional fuels particularly for use in the automobile industry. Being low in pollutants, high in calorific value and heat yield, economical and available in abundance globally, CNG is the perfect alternative for most. Switching to CNG has its own host of benefits that include, for starters, a huge price saving. CNG costs about a third of the cost of Petrol in terms of calorific value resulting in substantial saving in fuel cost. Any investment made on the CNG kit is paid back within a short period.

Secondly, CNG is environment friendly as it reduces vehicular exhaust emissions significantly. Carbon Monoxide emissions are reduced to a maximum of 90 per cent and Hydrocarbon emissions by 60 per cent as compared to vehicles that use Petrol. Carbon Dioxide emissions, a cause for global warming, are also reduced significantly by 10 per cent.

Also, there’s a 100 per cent Income Tax Depreciation that Corporate Organisations and firms can claim on the CNG Conversion Kit as this is a pollution controlling equipment. Organisations that buy CNG Conversion Kits should consult their Income Tax Consultants and avail of the depreciation benefits.

Importantly, for most consumers, the basic engine characteristics of a vehicle are retained even when it’s converted to run on CNG. With a kit, the vehicle is capable of running either on Petrol or CNG at the flick of a switch on the dashboard.

The kit comprises of a cylinder used to store CNG, fitted with a shut-off valve and a safety burst disc. They are type-approved by the Chief Controller of Explosives, Government of India; the Vapour Bag which is used to enclose the cylinder valve and the pipes connecting it and is vented out of the car; the High Pressure Pipe that connects the refueling valve to the CNG Cylinder and Pressure Regulator; the Refueling Valveused to refuel the CNG cylinder; the Pressure Regulator with a Solenoid Valve to shutoff gas supply to the engine; the Gas-Air Mixerspecially designed to suit each engine model and precisely meters gas fed into the engine; the Petrol-Solenoid Valve that cut off petrol supply to the engine when run on CNG; the Selector Switchfitted at the dashboard, enabling the driver to choose either the CNG mode or the petrol mode of operation.

Link to story (Times of India)

Video of SREL in the local news (Youtube Link)

Video of SREL in the local news (ABP Majha TV News Youtube Link)

Hyderabad-based Spectrum Renewable Energy Private Ltd will provide the bio-CNG and an engine of a commercial vehicle for detailed testing. This will include testing of emission levels, engine performance under different conditions and technical challenges, if any.

Mohan Rao, chairman and chief executive officer of the company, told TOI: “The production of bio-CNG would start in the next 40 days and we will provide cylinders of CNG and an engine to Automotive Research for testing. The primary tests have shown sufficient generation of bio-CNG, which is cost-effective. If this fuel meets requirements, then we will certainly go for commercial production of bio-CNG.”

The test is significant as for the first time compressed natural gas (CNG) is produced from bagasse of sugar factory. City-based Agharkar Research Institute (ARI) has helped in extracting methane from biogas and further converting biogas into CNG, which is used as fuel in New Delhi, Mumbai and Pune. The ministry has asked Warna Group and Spectrum to get proper permissions and launch the project. The ministry has asked for tests to estimate production and conversion costs, fuel efficiency and money saved if vehicles run on bio-CNG than conventional fuel like petrol and diesel. The primary report was positive.

The first pilot project is set up at Warnanagar near Kolhapur. The Warna cooperative sugar factory and Spectrum Renewable have joined hands for this project.

Sources at the ARI said, “Compared to CNG, methane content in biogas is around 54 to 60% while remaining gases are carbon dioxide and hydrogen disulphide. Once these two gases are reduced, the methane content goes up and we get CNG, where methane share is 93 to 95%. The source of methane is different; hence it is called bio-CNG.”

Rao said, “The total investment in the project is Rs 30 crore, of which 30% is the cost of the German technology and the machinery, which was imported. The company had to make changes to make it suitable for India. Press-mud from Warna group will be processed and bio-CNG would be produced. It will be used by Warna group for running their vehicles.”

As per the current production figures, 9,200 kg of bio-CNG can be recovered from 12,000 cubic meter of biogas. “Once we get a nod from the Union ministry, production will be ramped up, Rao added.

Sources from Kolhapur-based Warna Group said, “Apart from being a cooperative sugar factory, we are also into dairy and dairy products business, with a big fleet of vehicles. If the bio-CNG works out, the cost on fuel will be saved. Commercial production could be the next step. We are waiting for the results.”

Link to story (Times of India)

Link to story (Business Standard)

Spectrum BioEnergy Launches Biogas Demonstration Project at Albany County Wastewater Treatment Plant

Spectrum BioEnergy, in partnership with Albany County Sewer District and with financial support from the New York State Research and Energy Development Authority, has launched operations of a demonstration project  that will use a combined half-ton of wastewater sludge, fats, oil and grease (FOG), and food waste to demonstrate the ability of anaerobic digestion to manage organic waste and produce renewable energy.

“Spectrum BioEnergy and Albany County Sewer District joined hands after seeing the gap in anaerobic digestion solutions among wastewater treatment plants and food processing entities in the State. Today, many wastewater treatment plants use aerobic processes for sludge management, which is expensive due, in part, to the need to incinerate and or landfill the residual materials. In addition, the majority of food waste in our communities is landfilled,” remarked Spectrum BioEnergy VP of Business Development, Suma Reddy.  “Our systems provide an innovative, renewable-energy producing, alternative for wastewater biosolids and food waste management.”

Compared to aerobic processes, anaerobic digestion is considered more effective in reducing the volume of sludge that ultimately requires final disposition in a landfill; and, sludge that is treated via anaerobic digestion may even, in some cases, be land applied rather than placed in a landfill.

Located at the Albany County Sewer District’s South Wastewater Treatment Plant, Spectrum’s project demonstrates that anaerobic co-digestion of wastewater sludge, fats, oils, grease and food waste increases energy yields, thereby producing more biogas that can ultimately be used as a natural gas replacement or combusted to produce electric energy. Food waste and FOG will be procured from local bakeries and the neighboring City of Waterv liet. Spectrum’s goal is to build commercial size biogas plants that provide a biosolids and energy solution for wastewater treatment plants, and a food waste solution for municipalities and local businesses.

]]> http://www.srel.in/index.php/2012/01/sbe-usa/feed/ 0 http://www.srel.in/index.php/2011/10/sugarcane-biogas-project/ http://www.srel.in/index.php/2011/10/sugarcane-biogas-project/#comments Sun, 30 Oct 2011 18:24:55 +0000 George http://www.srel.in/?p=578 Spectrum Renewable Energy Pvt. Ltd., a biogas company that designs, builds, owns and operates biogas projects in India, is constructing one of the largest sugarcane waste to Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) facilities in the world. The $6.2 million, 100 tons/day facility in the state of Maharashtra in India will produce 9,000 kg (nearly 20,000 pounds) of CNG and 35,000 kg (more than 77,000 pounds) of high-value fertilizer daily. “We are providing an innovative solution to the sugarcane industry,” says A.V Mohan Rao, founder and chairman of Spectrum Renewable Energy. “We not only create additional revenue sources — renewable transportation fuel and high quality fertilizer — but also produce tangible and important environmental benefits, including elimination of groundwater contamination and reduction of methane emissions.” Spectrum partnered with the Warana Sugarcane Cooperative Society to build the project. Spectrum will sell the CNG to Warana for $0.68/kg less than current gas prices for use in its fleet of vehicles. Project construction is scheduled for completion by March 2012.

India is the second largest sugarcane-growing nation in the world, producing more than 350 million tons of sugar annually. Along with sugar, molasses and bagasse (the dry pulpy residue left after the extraction of juice from sugar cane), one of the residues of the sugarcane process is press mud, which is used as a low-grade fertilizer component when mixed with distillery waste. Nine million tons a year of press mud are produced in India.

CNG has been successfully established as a renewable transportation fuel in India; New Delhi, the capital, has the world’s largest fleet of public buses running on CNG. The price is 60 percent lower than the current average rate of $5.69/gallon for gasoline.

Link to story (BioCycle Magazine)