Malt production in a biogas plant
PILOT SCOPE
Biogas plants have a constant production of waste heat which normally is not recoverable for industrial or dwelling purposes because plants are usually located far away from urban areas, in the countryside.
This circumstance makes waste heat recovery profitable only for agricultural purposes: this gives the opportunity to consider new cultivations that need special conditions for their growth or to be processed after their harvest.
This pilot project will take advantage of waste heat recovery for malting.
MAIN STAKEHOLDERS INVOLVED
APE FVG
Biogas plants owners, farmers, food producers.
SHORT DESCRIPTION
The biogas plant where the project pilot will be developed is located in the rural area outside Udine. It is surrounded by a lot of acres of farmland and this allows an agricultural approach to recover waste heat.
Cereals will be grown in the fields around the plant; malt will be extracted through a traditional procedure by soaking grains in warm water to germination and further by drying them with hot air.
Water and air will be heated by the waste heat of the biogas plant through an heat exchanger “clean air-fumes”.
Applicability: All biogas plants could technically replicate this waste heat recovery system but the investment is more profitable if the business is not exploited on a large scale.
