Skip to main content

Advertisement

SpringerLink
Log in

Potential Nutrient Recovery in a Green Biorefinery for Production of Feed, Fuel and Fertilizer for Organic Farming

  • Original Paper
  • Published:
Waste and Biomass Valorization Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Nutrient recovery from organic green biomass after processing in a green biorefinery concept for the production of protein feed, biogas and fertilizer for organic farming was investigated. Mass balances in terms of wet weight, TS, VS, C, N, P, K and S were evaluated for processing red clover and clover grass into protein concentrate, press cake and brown juice according to the green biorefinery concept. Depending on the biomass, between 60 and 79% of C and between 52 and 63% of N, P and S in the fresh biomass were found in the press cake, while only 6–10% of C, 8–15% of N, but up to 27% of P and up to 26% of S were found in the brown juice. In contrast, less than 45% of K was transferred to the press cake and 19–31% of K ended up in the brown juice. Moreover, nutrient recovery in the digestate after anaerobic co-digestion of press cake and brown juice produced from clover grass in a pilot-scale trial was assessed in a bench-scale biogas reactor. The analysis of the digestate from the AD process revealed that 56% of the influent total-C was converted into biogas and that the share of ammonia-N of total-N was increased from 9.4 to 43% during the biogas process. Therefore, the proportion of plant available N was improved in the digestate. The digestate to be applied as organic fertilizer presented a C:N ratio of 7 and a nutrients N:P:K ratio of 4:1:12.

Graphic Abstract

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1
Fig. 2
Fig. 3
Fig. 4

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Santamaría-Fernández, M., Molinuevo-Salces, B., Kiel, P., Steenfeldt, S., Uellendahl, H., Lübeck, M.: Lactic acid fermentation for refining proteins from green crops and obtaining a high quality feed product for monogastric animals. J. Clean. Prod. 162, 875–881 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jclepro.2017.06.115

    Article  Google Scholar 

  2. Gutser, R., Ebertseder, T., Weber, A., Schraml, M., Schmidhalter, U.: Short-term and residual availability of nitrogen after long-term application of organic fertilizers on arable land. J. Plant Nutr. Soil Sci. 168, 439–446 (2005). https://doi.org/10.1002/jpln.200520510

    Article  Google Scholar 

  3. Risberg, K., Cederlund, H., Pell, M., Arthurson, V., Schnürer, A.: Comparative characterization of digestate versus pig slurry and cow manure – Chemical composition and effects on soil microbial activity. Waste Manag. 61, 529–538 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.wasman.2016.12.016

    Article  Google Scholar 

  4. Møller, H.B.: Nitrogen conversion in biogas plants. Bioenergy Res. 10–11 (2006)

  5. Möller, K., Müller, T.: Effects of anaerobic digestion on digestate nutrient availability and crop growth: a review. Eng. Life Sci. 12, 242–257 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1002/elsc.201100085

    Article  Google Scholar 

  6. Sankar Ganesh, K., Sundaramoorthy, P., Nagarajan, M., Lawrence Xavier, R.: Role of organic amendments in sustainable agriculture. In: Sustainable Agriculture towards Food Security. pp. 111–124. Springer, Singapore (2017)

  7. Sogn, T.A., Dragicevic, I., Linjordet, R., Krogstad, T., Eijsink, V.G.H., Eich-Greatorex, S.: Recycling of biogas digestates in plant production: NPK fertilizer value and risk of leaching. Int. J. Recycl. Org. Waste. Agric. (2018). https://doi.org/10.1007/s40093-017-0188-0

    Article  Google Scholar 

  8. Tambone, F., Scaglia, B., D’Imporzano, G., Schievano, A., Orzi, V., Salati, S., Adani, F.: Assessing amendment and fertilizing properties of digestates from anaerobic digestion through a comparative study with digested sludge and compost. Chemosphere 81, 577–583 (2010). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chemosphere.2010.08.034

    Article  Google Scholar 

  9. Arthurson, V.: Closing the global energy and nutrient cycles through application of biogas residue to agricultural land—potential benefits and drawbacks. Energies 2, 226–242 (2009). https://doi.org/10.3390/en20200226

    Article  Google Scholar 

  10. Riva, C., Orzi, V., Carozzi, M., Acutis, M., Boccasile, G., Lonati, S., Tambone, F., D’Imporzano, G., Adani, F.: Short-term experiments in using digestate products as substitutes for mineral (N) fertilizer: agronomic performance, odours, and ammonia emission impacts. Sci. Total Environ. 547, 206–214 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2015.12.156

    Article  Google Scholar 

  11. Alburquerque, J.A., de la Fuente, C., Bernal, M.P.: Chemical properties of anaerobic digestates affecting C and N dynamics in amended soils. Agric. Ecosyst. Environ. 160, 15–22 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.agee.2011.03.007

    Article  Google Scholar 

  12. De Notaris, C., Sørensen, P., Møller, H.B., Wahid, R., Eriksen, J.: Nitrogen fertilizer replacement value of digestates from three green manures. Nutr. Cycl. Agroecosyst. 112, 355–368 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10705-018-9951-5

    Article  Google Scholar 

  13. Müller-Stöver, D.S., Sun, G., Kroff, P., Thomsen, S.T., Hauggaard-Nielsen, H.: Anaerobic co-digestion of perennials: Methane potential and digestate nitrogen fertilizer value. J. Plant Nutr. Soil Sci. 179, 696–704 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1002/jpln.201500599

    Article  Google Scholar 

  14. Santamaría-Fernández, M., Molinuevo-Salces, B., Lübeck, M., Uellendahl, H.: Biogas potential of green biomass after protein extraction in an organic biorefinery concept for feed, fuel and fertilizer production. Renew. Energy. (2017). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.renene.2017.03.012

  15. Kiel, P., Andersen, M., Lübeck, M.: A method for providing functional proteins from a plant material. PCT DK2015 050185. WO2015197078 (2015)

  16. APHA: Standard Methods for the Examination of Water and Wastewater. American Public Health Association, American Water Works Association and Water Environment Federation, Washington DC (2005)

  17. Symons, G.E., Buswell, A.M.: The methane fermentation of carbohydrates. J. Am. Chem. Soc. 55, 2028–2036 (1933)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  18. Weiland, P.: Biogas production: current state and perspectives. Appl. Microbiol. Biotechnol. 85, 849–860 (2010). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00253-009-2246-7

    Article  Google Scholar 

  19. Andersen, M., Kiel, P.: Integrated utilisation of green biomass in the green biorefinery. Ind. Crops Prod. 11, 129–137 (2000). https://doi.org/10.1016/S0926-6690(99)00055-2

    Article  Google Scholar 

  20. Thomsen, M.H., Bech, D., Kiel, P.: Manufacturing of stabilised brown juice for l-lysine production—from university lab scale over pilot scale to industrial production. Chem. Biochem. Eng. Q. 18, 37–46 (2004)

    Google Scholar 

  21. Molinuevo-Salces, B., Ahring, B.K., Uellendahl, H.: Optimization of the co-digestion of catch crops with manure using a central composite design and reactor operation. Appl. Biochem. Biotechnol. 175, 1710–1723 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12010-014-1391-3

    Article  Google Scholar 

  22. Möller, K., Schulz, R., Müller, T.: Substrate inputs, nutrient flows and nitrogen loss of two centralized biogas plants in southern Germany. Nutr. Cycl. Agroecosyst. 87, 307–325 (2010). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10705-009-9340-1

    Article  Google Scholar 

  23. Cavalli, D., Cabassi, G., Borrelli, L., Geromel, G., Bechini, L., Degano, L., Marino Gallina, P.: Nitrogen fertilizer replacement value of undigested liquid cattle manure and digestates. Eur. J. Agron. 73, 34–41 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.eja.2015.10.007

    Article  Google Scholar 

  24. McDonnell, R.P., Staines, M. VH., Bolland, M.D.A.: Determining the critical plant test potassium concentration for annual and Italian ryegrass on dairy pastures in south-western Australia. Grass Forage Sci. 73 112–122 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1111/gfs.12286

Download references

Acknowledgements

This work has been carried out in the frames of the Organic project: OrganoFinery—Organic growth with biorefined organic protein feed, fertilizer and energy. Authors are grateful to the “Green Development and Demonstration Program (GUDP) under the Danish Ministry of Food (34009-13-0961) and to the Organic RDD-2 program, coordinated by ICROFS, for financial support. Furthermore, the authors thank Morten Ambye-Jensen, Aarhus University, for collaboration with the pilot-scale process.

Author information

Author notes

  1. Hinrich Uellendahl

    Present address: Faculty of Mechanical and Process Engineering and Maritime Technologies, Flensburg University of Applied Sciences, Kanzleistr. 91-93, 24943, Flensburg, Germany

  2. Nanna Karkov Ytting

    Present address: Agrologica, Mørdrupvej 5, 3540, Lynge, Denmark

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Section for Sustainable Biotechnology, Aalborg University Copenhagen, A C Meyers Vaenge 15, 2450, Copenhagen SV, Denmark

    Maria Santamaria-Fernandez & Mette Lübeck

  2. Department of Plant and Environmental Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Thorvaldsensvej 40, 1871, Frederiksberg C, Denmark

    Nanna Karkov Ytting

Authors
  1. Maria Santamaria-Fernandez
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Nanna Karkov Ytting
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Mette Lübeck
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Hinrich Uellendahl
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Maria Santamaria-Fernandez.

Additional information

Publisher's Note

Springer Nature remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Santamaria-Fernandez, M., Ytting, N.K., Lübeck, M. et al. Potential Nutrient Recovery in a Green Biorefinery for Production of Feed, Fuel and Fertilizer for Organic Farming. Waste Biomass Valor 11, 5901–5911 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12649-019-00842-3

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12649-019-00842-3

Keywords

Search

Navigation