Currently, biogas in Sweden is mainly produced from sewage sludge, slaughterhouse waste and food wastes. In the future, substrates for biogas production may also include plant materials such as straw, sugar beet, or energy forest. Maximising biogas production from plant materials often requires various pre-treatment techniques. Such techniques are currently under evaluation and need to be refined. An alternative use of plant material for bio-energy production is to produce ethanol in a first step, and subsequently, biogas. The residue from ethanol production, termed ‘distiller’s waste’, contains much protein as well as some sugars, and can be used for biogas production. Distiller’s waste represents a “new” substrate for biogas production, and information concerning management of these novel processes is very limited. 

The overall aim of this project is to increase the knowledge base concerning biogas production from different plant materials and distiller’s waste.