Starch plant converts leftover cassava pulp into biogas
The technology, which involves the pre-treatment of wastewater, produces biogas from leftover cassava pulp. In Thailand, cassava starch production is a growing industry, with about 10 million tons of fresh cassava tubers used ayear.
Chok Chai Starch (CCS) manufactures native and modified starch, extracted and refined from the tapioca root, at its factory in Thailand.
“A RAPTOR plant is a total solution, starting with logistics for handling the energy crop and ending with the production of biogas, green electricity or steam,” said Michael Bambridge, MD, CST Wastewater Solutions.
Processing organic residue
“A range of organic residue types can be processed, resulting in an efficient and rapid conversion or the material to agricultural fertiliser and biogas.”
The project, carried out by CCS, is the installation and operation of an anaerobic digestion and methane recovery system for the treatment of wastewater and energy generation system.
Jean Pierre Ombregt, CEO, Global Water Engineering said the anaerobic technology can be used in any factory or process with one or more digestible solid waste streams.
Breweries, fruit or food waste
"Plants including breweries, fruit, food waste, agro industries, and energy crops including corn, can easily use this technology to generate energy,” he said.
CCS is allegedly the world's first plant to incorporate the thermophilic biological digestion process for cassava pulp, which reduces leftover pulp and boosts the plant's existing biogas production to replace fossil fuels and to generate electricity.
The RAPTOR produces enough biogas to generate 3.3 to 3.4 MW of renewable electricity for sale to the local grid, while the biogas produced by previously installed ANUBIX B reactors is heating the factory's two thermal oil boilers using green energy produced from digestion of organic matter in its wastewater.
