4-platform (biogas, green juice, green fibres, electricity&heat) biorefinery using grass

silage and food residues for bioplastic, insulation material, fertilizer and electricity
Part A: Biorefinery plant
The “4-platform (biogas, green juice, green fibres, electri-
city&heat) biorefinery using grass silage and food residues
for bioplastic, insulation material, fertilizer and electricity“
converts grass to biogas and biobased products. The
grass silage is mechanically pressed and then separated
in a liquid phase (“Green juice”) and solid phase (“Fib-
res”). After drying the fibres are used as insulation materi-
al or are further pelletized to be used as an ingredient for
bioplastic. The green juice is used to produce biogas in
an anaerobic fermentation. Food residues are used as an
additional feedstock for the biogas fermentation.
The biogas is used in a CHP plant with an internal
combustion engine to produce electricity and heat. The
heat demand of the biorefinery is higher than the heat
produced from biogas, so additionally natural gas is used
to supply the heat. For electricity it is vice versa, the
electricity production is higher than the electricity demand
of the biorefinery. Therefore the excess electricity is sold
to the grid. The residues of fermentation are separated in
a solid and liquid fraction, which are used as fertilizer. This
type of biorefinery is already realised in several countries.

Food residues Grass silage

Biorefinery plant
Anaerobic
Pressing
fermentation
Natural gas

Separation Drying

Biogas

Green juice
Combustion

Green fibres
Separation
Combustion (liquid/solid)

Pelleting
Electricity
and heat

Electricity Fertilizer Bioplastic Insulation material

Task 42 Biorefining
 Fact  Sheet  4  -­‐  4-­‐platform  (biogas,  green  juice,  green  fibres,  electricity&heat)  

4-­‐platform  (biogas,  green  juice,  green  fibres,  electricity&heat)  biorefinery  using  grass  
silage  and  food  residues  for  bioplastic,  insulation  material,  fertilizer  and  electricity
Fact  Sheet  4  -­‐  4-­‐platform  (biogas,  green  juice,  green  fibres,  electricity&heat)  …  
State  of  t echnology:   commercial  2013 Biorefinery  Complexity  I ndex  
  28  (3/7/8/10)
Country: EU  27 (P ro duc ts /P latfo rm/F eeds to c k/P ro c es s es )

Main  data  sources:   VDI  6310,  JOANNEUM  RESEARCH

Products
4-­‐platform   Auxiliaries  
(biogas,  green  juice,  green  fibres,  electricity&heat)  biorefinery   (external)
using  grass  
silage  and  food  residues  for  bioplastic,  
fertilizer i nsulation  material,  
0 [kt/a] f ertilizer  and  e lectricityelectricity 0 [PJ/a]
State  of  t echnology:   bioplastic
commercial   2.5 [kt/a]
2013 Biorefinery   heat 0.01 [PJ/a]
Complexity  I ndex   28  (3/7/8/10)
Country: insulation  
EU  27 m aterial (P ro 1.4
duc ts /P [kt/a]
latfo rm/F eeds to c k/P ro c es s es )

Main  data  sources:   electricity

VDI   0.02 [PJ/a]
6310,  JOANNEUM  RESEARCH polypropylen  (PP) 1.3 [kt/a]
Products Auxiliaries  (external) urea 0.01 [kt/a]
fertilizer 0 [kt/a] electricity 0 [PJ/a]
bioplastic 2.5 [kt/a] heat 0.01 [PJ/a]
insulation  material 1.4 water  
[kt/a]
Feedstock electricity 0.02 [PJ/a]
[kt/a]polypropylen  
content  (PP) Costs1.3 [kt/a]
urea 0.01 [kt/a]
[%]
grass  s illage water   7 65.0% investment  c osts 17 [Mio  €]
Feedstock [kt/a] content   Costs
food   r esidues 40 80.0% feedstock  c osts 14 [€/t]
[%]
grass  s illage 7 65.0% investment  c osts number  
17 [Mio  €o]f  employees 10 [#]
Efficiencies
food  r esidues 40 80.0% feedstock  c osts 14 [€/t]mass energy
number  o f  employees 10 [#]
Efficiencies
input  to  
mass
products energy 8% 72%
input  
input   to  tpo   transportation  
roducts 8% biofuel 72% 0% 0%  
input  to  transportation  biofuel 0% 0%  

loss&residues loss&residues
1.0 1.0 loss&residues

48 48 0.9 electricity
50 48 48
electricity 0.9
45 50 electricity
0.8
40 45 insulation 0.7 0.8 insulation
material
35 material
40 insulation
energy  [PJ/a]

0.6 0.7 bioplastic

mass  [kt/a]

30 bioplastic
25 35 material
0.5
energy  [PJ/a]

0.6 fertilizer
mass  [kt/a]

20 30 fertilizer bioplastic
0.4
15
25 0.3 0.5 aux.  materials
10 aux.  materials
0.16 0.16
5 20 fertilizer
0.2
0.4 aux.  energy
0 aux.  energy 0.1
15 0.3
input output 0.0 materials feedstock
10 feedstock aux.  
input output
0.2 0.16
5
0 aux.  energy 0.1
share  of  costs share  of  revenues
input output electricity;   0.0
feedstock 9%
input
waste  water   insulation   fertilizer;  0%
aux.   and  r esidues;   material;  
materials;   0.0% 0.3%
27.9%

share  of  costs share  of  

electricity
aux.  energy;   capital;  3 2.1%
9%
0.6%
waste  water   insulation  
maintanance;   aux.   and  r esidues;   material;  
11.3%
materials;   0.0% 0.3%
insurance;   27.9%
feedstock;   bioplastic;  
3.8% personal;  
10.0%
14.2% 91%
 

aux.  energy;   capital;  3 2.1%

0.6%
maintanance;  
11.3%

insurance;  
feedstock;  
Part B: Value Chain Sustainability Assessment
The method of the sustainability assessment - econo-
mic and environmental – is given in Annex 1. The main
assumptions and modelling choices are documented in
Annex 2. The Annexes are available on the webpage of
Task 42: www.iea-bioenergy.task42-biorefineries.com

4-platform (biogas, green juice, green fibers,

electricity&heat) biorefinery using grass silage
and food residues for bioplastic, insulation mate- Conventional reference
rial, fertilizer and electricity system

Food residues Agricultural land Fossil resource

Harvesting
Collection residues Set aside Extraction
grass silage

Composting plant

Transport Transport

Biorefinery Refinery Power plant

Insulation Insulation
Fertilizer Bioplastic Electricity Fertilizer Plastic Electricity
material material

Recycling/ Distribution Recycling/ Distribution

energy energy
generation *) generation *)

Use Use

*)
incl. transportation
Product services
 Whole  value  chain

Greenhouse  gas  e missions range

biorefinery 5.5 (5.1  to  6.3) [kt  CO 2 -­‐eq/a]
Whole  value  chain
reference  s ystem 21 (20  to  24) [kt  CO 2 -­‐eq/a]
Greenhouse  gas  e missions savingrange -­‐74% (-­‐69%  to  -­‐85%) [%]
Cumulated   e nergy  demand
biorefinery 5.5 (5.1  to  6.3) [kt  CO 2 -­‐eq/a]
fossil
reference  s ystem 21 (20  to  24) [kt  CO 2 -­‐eq/a]
saving biorefinery        t  o  
-­‐74% (-­‐69%        -­‐  8    5%)
       0.07 (0.07  to  0.08)
[%] [PJ/a]
Cumulated  e nergy  demand reference   s ystem                              0.28 (0.26  to  0.32) [PJ/a]
fossil saving -­‐74% (-­‐69%  to  -­‐85%) [%]
biorefinery                      total
       0.07 (0.07  to  0.08) [PJ/a]
reference  s ystem            biorefinery
                 0.28 (0.26        t  o  
     0    .32)            0.17 [PJ/a]
(0.16  to  0.2) [PJ/a]
saving -­‐74% (-­‐69%  to  -­‐85%) [%]
reference  s ystem                              0.30 (0.28  to  0.34) [PJ/a]
total
change -­‐42% (-­‐39%  to  -­‐48%) [%]
biorefinery                              0.17 (0.16  to  0.2) [PJ/a]
Agricultural   area   d emand
reference  s ystem                              0.30 (0.28  to  0.34) [PJ/a]
change -­‐42% (-­‐39%  to  -­‐48%) [%]
Agricultural  area  demand feedstock 700 (650  to  800) [ha/a]

Costs feedstock 700 (650  to  800) [ha/a]

annual  c osts 4.5 (4.2  to  5.2) [Mio  €/a]
Costs
annual  c osts specific   c osts
4.5 (4.2  to  5.2) 1,150 (1100  
[Mio   to  1300)
€/a] [€/t]
Revenues
specific  c osts 1,150 (1100  to  1300) [€/t]
Revenues annual  r evenues 5.5 (5.1  to  6.3) [Mio  €/a]
specific  r evenues
annual  r evenues 5.5 (5.1  to  6.3) 1,410 [Mio  
(1300   to  1600)
€/a] [€/t]  
specific  r evenues 1,410 (1300  to  1600) [€/t]  

0.3 0.30.30 0.30

0.3 0.28 end  of  life
0.3
0.28 end  of  life

electricity electricity
Cumulated  fossil  energy  [PJ/a]

Cumulated  total  energy  [PJ/a]

Cumulated  fossil  energy  [PJ/a]

Cumulated  total  energy  [PJ/a]

insulation  (EPS) insulation  (EPS)

0.2 0.2 0.2 0.2
0.17 0.17
HDPE
HDPE renew.&others
r
nitrogen  fertilizer  (N) biomass
nitrogen  fertilizer  (N) b
fossil
0.1 aux.  materials 0.1 f
0.07 0.1 0.1
aux.  materials
0.07 aux.  energy
aux.  energy
transport
0.0 0.0
Biorefinery References feeds tock
transport Biorefinery References
0.0 0.0
Biorefinery References feeds tock Biorefinery References
25 6
end  of  life 5.5 electricity
21
25 electricity 6 insulation  m aterial
20 5
end  of  life 5.5 ele
4.5
GHG  emis s ions  [kt  CO2-­‐eq/a]

bioplastic
Costs  &  revenues  [Mio.€/a]

insulation  21
(EPS) ins
electricity fertilizer
20 4 5
15 4.5waste  w ater  and  residues
GHG  emis s ions  [kt  CO2-­‐eq/a]

HDPE bio
Costs  &  revenues  [Mio.€/a]

insulation  (EPS)
nitrogen  fertilizer  (N) 3 aux.  materials fer
4
10 15 HDPE
aux.  materials aux.  energy wa
5.5 2 maintanance
aux.  energy nitrogen  fertilizer  (N) 3 aux
5
10 insurance
transport 1
aux.  materials aux
pers onal
5.5 2 ma
0 feeds tock feeds tock
aux.  energy
0
Biorefinery5 References
Costs Revenues capital
ins
transport 1  
per
0 feeds tock fee
Biorefinery References 0
Costs Revenues cap
prmpbf16213