AD digestate storage/spreading costs

LoamRanger

Member
Location
Wiltshire
Details - 1000 litres (cubic meter) contains 6.5 kg N, plus some P and K. Solids are less than 3%.
Grass unit could use umbilical on 100ha otherwise all needs spreading with tanker.
Open lagoon would pick up two foot of winter rain, causing extra costs. Covered round store looks like costing in excess of 200k ... Plus tanker. Plus spreading. This could end the AD plan.
Incidentally a new, smaller, store is needed anyway for the dairy.
:(
 

MickMoor

Member
Location
Bonsall, UK
Have you checked withthe EA how much you can store on one site? I believe it s 3,000 cubic metres per holding site.
A recent budget for two 3,000cubic metre covered tanks came in a little bit shy of £200,000, so you are not far wrong. Temporary lined tanks sound wonderful, but cost pretty much the same, except the base is less, and you can take them away cheaply later.
 
several thousand cubic meters of digestate to store and spread on proposed 200 - 500kwh AD on dairy/corn unit. Any ideas or suggestions?

A 500kw AD plant will have 10-12,000 tonnes of digestate to spread.

Do you mean liquor but you say digestate?

If its 'digestate' then it will come out of the plant as PAS approved so you tip in field piles to suit the size of the field with the application rate. My understanding is that all AD plants are PAS approved. If this one is not then I would not get involved as you could have the EA on your heels in a few years time as you need 'deployments' to field piles and then spread because its a 'waste' not a product your spreading.

Cost wise £1.50-1.70/tonne will get you a contractor with loader. You can do it yourself for about 50p/tonne less but may not be worth the hassle.

The big cost is the haulage of it and if your tipping in fields next to the AD plant up to fields 10 miles away and its about evenly proportioned then your looking at about £3.50/tonne delivered.

Generally if you budget on £5/tonne delivered and spread your about there unless of course all the land is next to the plant.
 
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The Son

Member
Location
Herefordshire
As on AD plant operator we are not PAS approved as we spread all digestate on our own holding and only use farm based feedstocks, no waste. We have a 400kw plant and have a 2000m3 above ground Storth tank, but everything goes through a seperator so the tank is fairly liquid, we store the solid in the silage pits as they empty and spread as needed, we are not in an NVZ so no restrictions there, but do have to be sensible. In an ideal world 2000m3 is not hardly big enough, and what I would like to do is put another tank on off lying land so we can transport or pump over to that as required, and then spread as needed. We spread on grass and stubbles, using umbilical and tankers, after our fist year it was obvious that we were loosing a serious amount of nutrient value through the splash plate, so all will go through a dribble bar or trailing shoe this year.
Depending on your set up and finances I would but a 2000-3000m3 on site, and then look at off site storage at a later stage, the digestate is too good a product to waste.
Have a look on here for some pics https://www.facebook.com/pages/Baker-Biogas/154753868018141?ref=hl
 
As on AD plant operator we are not PAS approved as we spread all digestate on our own holding and only use farm based feedstocks, no waste.

Oh ok yes that does make sense to be honest as I assumed some feedstock would be bought in ........ but I would think within 5 years you will have to be producing to PAS 100.
 
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Whynot

Member
Location
Rugby
We're running a 499kw plant and expecting 9/10000m3 of digestate. We decided to put in a 4400m3 tank and had it insulated and with a gas tight lid. We took the decision that the extra cost would soon get paid back by hopefully using the feedstocks more efficiently.(we're hoping for extra 8% gas from same feedstocks) Also thought 6months(ish) would enable us to use more digestate( about 8% DM as we have no seperator) in the spring as most winter application is a bit of a waste of N.
We're also lucky that we can umbilical to over 600 acres so can do for circa £2/m3.
 

puntabrava

Member
Location
Wiltshire
We're running a 499kw plant and expecting 9/10000m3 of digestate. We decided to put in a 4400m3 tank and had it insulated and with a gas tight lid. We took the decision that the extra cost would soon get paid back by hopefully using the feedstocks more efficiently.(we're hoping for extra 8% gas from same feedstocks) Also thought 6months(ish) would enable us to use more digestate( about 8% DM as we have no seperator) in the spring as most winter application is a bit of a waste of N.
We're also lucky that we can umbilical to over 600 acres so can do for circa £2/m3.
What is your feedstock?
 

puntabrava

Member
Location
Wiltshire
A 500kw AD plant will have 10-12,000 tonnes of digestate to spread.

Do you mean liquor but you say digestate?

If its 'digestate' then it will come out of the plant as PAS approved so you tip in field piles to suit the size of the field with the application rate. My understanding is that all AD plants are PAS approved. If this one is not then I would not get involved as you could have the EA on your heels in a few years time as you need 'deployments' to field piles and then spread because its a 'waste' not a product your spreading.

Cost wise £1.50-1.70/tonne will get you a contractor with loader. You can do it yourself for about 50p/tonne less but may not be worth the hassle.

The big cost is the haulage of it and if your tipping in fields next to the AD plant up to fields 10 miles away and its about evenly proportioned then your looking at about £3.50/tonne delivered.

Generally if you budget on £5/tonne delivered and spread your about there unless of course all the land is next to the plant.
Your post does not read quite right Lee.
 
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Whynot

Member
Location
Rugby
We're basing it on maize. We grew 480 acres in first year(only started feeding end November). We averaged just over 21t/acre. We're having 500ac for next year as well as 80ac grass. Currently ration is 22t Maize, 4t pig manure,1t chicken manure and 1t potatoes.
Was offered 600t Potatoes and 400t fodder beet but really needs chopping and washing-any ideas?
 

puntabrava

Member
Location
Wiltshire
We're basing it on maize. We grew 480 acres in first year(only started feeding end November). We averaged just over 21t/acre. We're having 500ac for next year as well as 80ac grass. Currently ration is 22t Maize, 4t pig manure,1t chicken manure and 1t potatoes.
Was offered 600t Potatoes and 400t fodder beet but really needs chopping and washing-any ideas?
If you have no separator i would be surprised if you have no issues with solid banks of maize forming in your storage, a customer told me several years ago when he installed a new plant fed on maize and grass that there was no need for a separator, I questioned him as I do you now but was informed 'no need'. He was wrong and since had to install one.
EDIT, I note you only started feeding in November, I would advise you to seek advice over the separator.
 

Whynot

Member
Location
Rugby
Sorry Puntabrava but should have made it clearer that we have also got heating and insulation in"storage tank" as well as 4 mixers. As I said earlier this should hopefully enable us to get as much gas as possible out of feedstocks. DM in second tank is approx 8%.
The more expensive option of a second digester/ storage tank was considerable( approx 150k extra) but leads to no smell, increased efficiency and the ability to double capacity at a later date.
 

puntabrava

Member
Location
Wiltshire
Sorry Puntabrava but should have made it clearer that we have also got heating and insulation in"storage tank" as well as 4 mixers. As I said earlier this should hopefully enable us to get as much gas as possible out of feedstocks. DM in second tank is approx 8%.
The more expensive option of a second digester/ storage tank was considerable( approx 150k extra) but leads to no smell, increased efficiency and the ability to double capacity at a later date.
Ahh, bit of a different job that set up.
 

MickMoor

Member
Location
Bonsall, UK
That is incorrect.

I'm happy to be corrected. I did say, "I believe....." but please tell me why you say so, because it is important to me and my customers. I don't get to invloved in the why's and wherefore's, my business is supplying storage, but I can't help being inquisitive.
As regards separation, some operators have an issue with settlement in the buffer tank as digestate comes out of the separators, after pasteurisation. This is with a base of maize silage and digesting food waste.
I have been saying for a few years that the technology is not yet proven, but of course everybody cites Germany and creates the impression that everything is hunky dory there, so it will be here.
The fact remains that there is no 'blueprint' for an AD system. It has to be tailored exactly to the inputs. Some people have been lucky, and stupidly shoot their mouths off; others less so and are, sadly, ridiculed. Unfortunately there are too many shiny suits in this industry. Their companies may go bankrupt, after they and their employees have taken a nice fat salary for a few years, and the customer, having spent a six or seven figure sum, is left with a problem.
I may be cynical, but I've been in business for 30 years, and I built digesters way back in 1992.
 

Ralph

New Member
Location
UK
several thousand cubic meters of digestate to store and spread on proposed 200 - 500kwh AD on dairy/corn unit. Any ideas or suggestions?

Afternoon,

We speacialise in the supply and hire of new and used storage tanks for all liquids. if you would like to call discuss any possibilities feel free to contact me on 01794 388278. Many thanks. Ralph Lancaster
 

damaged

Member
Location
Gloucestershire
Can digestate liquid be evaporated to form field stackable cake, (ignoring fact nitrogen is wasted as ammonium to atmosphere) using something like a milk powder plate dryer with waste heat from AD?
 

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