This is a groundbreaking project in Brazil to generate electric power in biodigestors using pig s... more This is a groundbreaking project in Brazil to generate electric power in biodigestors using pig slurry. The purpose of the experience is to study the technical and economic feasibility of setting up biodigestors in rural properties dedicated to pig-raising, in order to generate power with methane gas yielded by the decomposition of collected organic matter that will be consumed by the livestock business, the surplus of which may be sold to the local service distributor.
It is the generation of pig waste-based power using biodigestors. To enable the connection of this type of distributed power to COPEL’s grid there are some special measures that must be taken in order to protect the electric system and ensure safety, as they are low-power operating systems, and until now it was not feasible to equip them with the protection systems in place on larger generators.
The project has been developed and monitored for nearly a year in a small rural property in the Foz do Iguaçu region, and its success could lead to a triple benefit. “For pig-raisers, generation of power in biodigestors would be a source of additional income from their activity, while COPEL would strengthen its energy availability to supply the market”, while greatly helping environmental balance, as by using pig slurry in the biodigestor chambers it prevents the waste from running off into rivers, lakes and reservoirs and from affecting the properties of water that facilitate the proliferation of algae and other harmful microorganisms to human health. The main environmental problem ensuing from pig-raising activities is the phosphorus-rich pig slurry that is the main nutrient of what is called “blue algae”, a type of organism that contaminates and deteriorates water, and when swallowed or even if it touches the skin can cause serious health problems to human beings and animals alike.
In the case of the property where the tests were run, electric capacity for power generation is 50 kilowatts – enough to generate power for 100 homes with average consumption standard.
This is a groundbreaking project in Brazil to generate electric power in biodigestors using pig s... more This is a groundbreaking project in Brazil to generate electric power in biodigestors using pig slurry. The purpose of the experience is to study the technical and economic feasibility of setting up biodigestors in rural properties dedicated to pig-raising, in order to generate power with methane gas yielded by the decomposition of collected organic matter that will be consumed by the livestock business, the surplus of which may be sold to the local service distributor.
It is the generation of pig waste-based power using biodigestors. To enable the connection of this type of distributed power to COPEL’s grid there are some special measures that must be taken in order to protect the electric system and ensure safety, as they are low-power operating systems, and until now it was not feasible to equip them with the protection systems in place on larger generators.
The project has been developed and monitored for nearly a year in a small rural property in the Foz do Iguaçu region, and its success could lead to a triple benefit. “For pig-raisers, generation of power in biodigestors would be a source of additional income from their activity, while COPEL would strengthen its energy availability to supply the market”, while greatly helping environmental balance, as by using pig slurry in the biodigestor chambers it prevents the waste from running off into rivers, lakes and reservoirs and from affecting the properties of water that facilitate the proliferation of algae and other harmful microorganisms to human health. The main environmental problem ensuing from pig-raising activities is the phosphorus-rich pig slurry that is the main nutrient of what is called “blue algae”, a type of organism that contaminates and deteriorates water, and when swallowed or even if it touches the skin can cause serious health problems to human beings and animals alike.
In the case of the property where the tests were run, electric capacity for power generation is 50 kilowatts – enough to generate power for 100 homes with average consumption standard.
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It is the generation of pig waste-based power using biodigestors.
To enable the connection of this type of distributed power to COPEL’s grid there are some special measures that must be taken in order to protect the electric system and ensure safety, as they are low-power operating systems, and until now it was not feasible to equip them with the protection systems in place on larger generators.
The project has been developed and monitored for nearly a year in a small rural property in the Foz do Iguaçu region, and its success could lead to a triple benefit. “For pig-raisers, generation of power in biodigestors would be a source of additional income from their activity, while COPEL would strengthen its energy availability to supply the market”, while greatly helping environmental balance, as by using pig slurry in the biodigestor chambers it prevents the waste from running off into rivers, lakes and reservoirs and from affecting the properties of water that facilitate the proliferation of algae and other harmful microorganisms to human health.
The main environmental problem ensuing from pig-raising activities is the phosphorus-rich pig slurry that is the main nutrient of what is called “blue algae”, a type of organism that contaminates and deteriorates water, and when swallowed or even if it touches the skin can cause serious health problems to human beings and animals alike.
In the case of the property where the tests were run, electric capacity for power generation is 50 kilowatts – enough to generate power for 100 homes with average consumption standard.
It is the generation of pig waste-based power using biodigestors.
To enable the connection of this type of distributed power to COPEL’s grid there are some special measures that must be taken in order to protect the electric system and ensure safety, as they are low-power operating systems, and until now it was not feasible to equip them with the protection systems in place on larger generators.
The project has been developed and monitored for nearly a year in a small rural property in the Foz do Iguaçu region, and its success could lead to a triple benefit. “For pig-raisers, generation of power in biodigestors would be a source of additional income from their activity, while COPEL would strengthen its energy availability to supply the market”, while greatly helping environmental balance, as by using pig slurry in the biodigestor chambers it prevents the waste from running off into rivers, lakes and reservoirs and from affecting the properties of water that facilitate the proliferation of algae and other harmful microorganisms to human health.
The main environmental problem ensuing from pig-raising activities is the phosphorus-rich pig slurry that is the main nutrient of what is called “blue algae”, a type of organism that contaminates and deteriorates water, and when swallowed or even if it touches the skin can cause serious health problems to human beings and animals alike.
In the case of the property where the tests were run, electric capacity for power generation is 50 kilowatts – enough to generate power for 100 homes with average consumption standard.