In order to evaluate the effect of seaweeds in bio-filtration for removing nitrogen from marine aquaculture and in bioenergy production, Ulva sp. was used in this study. Experiments were triplicated and run in 3-day incubation at salinities with 30 psu, 10 psu and 5 psu in different initial ammonium nitrogen concentrations from 100 μM to 10,000 μM, equivalently to marine aquaculture conditions. The highest concentrations of ammonium removed were about 690 μmol (12.42 mg) NH4+ at 30 psu, 410 μmol (7.38 mg) NH4+ at 10 psu and 350 μmol NH4+(6.3 mg NH4+) at 5 psu in three days of incubation, while highest growth rates of Ulva sp. were 49% and 150% per day at 500 μM of initial ammonium concentration, similarly to the growth rate reported in microalgae. Moreover, after these experiments, biomass of Ulva sp. has been tested for bioenergy producing goals, because the carbohydrate concentration of this alga was very high, reaching 60-70% of DW. Thus, Ulva sp. can be cultured to remove nitrogen concentration in eutrophication conditions at aquaculture systems in combination with the purpose of bioenergy production after harvesting. / Để đánh giá hiệu quả của tảo biển trong việc lọc sinh học loại bỏ hợp chất ni tơ từ việc nuôi trồng thủy sản và trong việc sản xuất năng lượng sinh học, Ulva sp. đã được sử dụng trong nghiên cứu này. Các thí nghiệm được lặp lại 3 lần và chạy trong 3 ngày trong tủ ổn nhiệt tại các điều kiện độ mặn 30psu, 10psu, 5psu ở các nồng độ NH4+-N từ 100μM đến 10.000μM, tương đương với điều kiện nuôi trồng thủy sản nước mặn. Nồng độ cao nhất của NH4+-N được loại bỏ khoảng 690 μmol NH4+(12,42mg NH4 +) tại 30psu, 410μmol NH4+(7,38mg NH4+) tại 10psu và 350 μmol NH4+(6.3mg NH4+) tại 5psu, trong đó tỉ lệ sinh trưởng của Ulva sp. là rất cao, sinh trưởng từ 49 đến 150% mỗi ngày tại nồng độ ammonium ban đầu 500 μM tương đương với sinh trưởng của vi tảo. Hơn nữa, sau các thí nghiệm trên, sinh khối của Ulva sp. được thử nghiệm sản xuất năng lượng sinh học vì hàm lượng carbohydrate trong tảo rất cao, chiếm khoảng 60-70% trọng lượng khô của tảo. Như vậy, Ulva sp. có thể được nuôi trồng để loại bỏ hợp chất ni tơ trong điều kiện phú dưỡng của các hệ thống nuôi trồng thủy sản, kết hợp với mục tiêu sản xuất năng lượng sinh học sau thu hoạch.

High solids anaerobic digestion (HS-AD) is an alternative for managing the organic fraction of municipal solids waste (MSW), which produces mainly methane (CH4) and fertilizer as byproducts. HS-AD offers a potentially more economically and environmentally sustainable option compared with landfilling or incineration waste-to-energy facilities. However, HS-AD is a complex process requiring specific microbial communities working together symbiotically. Previous studies have found that the substrate to inoculum (S/I) ratio affects CH4 production and yield in HS-AD reactors by affecting substrate mass and energy transfer as well as microbial activity. In this thesis, biochemical methane potential (BMP) assays were used to investigate the effect of S/I ratio on CH4 production and chemical properties during the digestion of food waste, yard waste, and biosolids. The results indicate that the S/I ratio of 1.0 based on total solids (TS) content was the optimum ratio for the mixtures, compared to 2.0 and 3.0 based on TS as well as an inoculum only blank. Specifically, the S/I ratio of 1.0 based on TS had the greatest cumulative CH4 production of 2,320-mL and maximum cumulative CH4 yield of 126 mL-CH4/ (g VSadded) over 47 days while reducing total TS and VS in the reactors. Weekly chemical analyses showed that the optimum values were produced in BMPs with S/I of 1.0 because this set was the least influenced by pH, volatile fatty acid (VFA), total ammonia nitrogen (TAN) induced microbial inhibition. Overall, these findings may assist in the design and operation of HS-AD systems with greater CH4 volume and CH4 production for the digestion of the organic fraction of MWS.

Chosen agriculture farm: Dubné corporation is in South Bohemia region. Analysis of inner structure of agricultural system was calculated for ten-year period 1997 {--} 2006. Data used for analysis: acreage and yield of individual crops, consumption of mineral fertilizers, cattle stock. On the basis of this analysis, using carbon balance principle, variants of agricultural inner structure project have been worked out, aimed at bioenergy production: cereals for production of bioethanol, raps for production of oil, biogas.

The chosen agricultural enterprise, Agricultural Cooperative Skalka {--} Jankov farms in the South Bohemia region near the city of České Budějovice. Analysis of the inner structure of the agricultural system was calculated for a ten-year period 1998 {--} 2007. Data used for the analysis include: harvest area, yield of individual crops, mineral fertilizer consumption and cattle stock. On the basis of this analysis, using carbon balance principles, variants of agricultural inner structure project have been worked out, aimed at bioenergy production: cereals for production of bioethanol, raps for biodiesel production, biogas.

In order to evaluate the effect of seaweeds in bio-filtration for removing nitrogen from marine aquaculture and in bioenergy production, Ulva sp. was used in this study. Experiments were triplicated and run in 3-day incubation at salinities with 30 psu, 10 psu and 5 psu in different initial ammonium nitrogen concentrations from 100 μM to 10,000 μM, equivalently to marine aquaculture conditions. The highest concentrations of ammonium removed were about 690 μmol (12.42 mg) NH4+ at 30 psu, 410 μmol (7.38 mg) NH4+ at 10 psu and 350 μmol NH4+(6.3 mg NH4+) at 5 psu in three days of incubation, while highest growth rates of Ulva sp. were 49% and 150% per day at 500 μM of initial ammonium concentration, similarly to the growth rate reported in microalgae. Moreover, after these experiments, biomass of Ulva sp. has been tested for bioenergy producing goals, because the carbohydrate concentration of this alga was very high, reaching 60-70% of DW. Thus, Ulva sp. can be cultured to remove nitrogen concentration in eutrophication conditions at aquaculture systems in combination with the purpose of bioenergy production after harvesting. / Để đánh giá hiệu quả của tảo biển trong việc lọc sinh học loại bỏ hợp chất ni tơ từ việc nuôi trồng thủy sản và trong việc sản xuất năng lượng sinh học, Ulva sp. đã được sử dụng trong nghiên cứu này. Các thí nghiệm được lặp lại 3 lần và chạy trong 3 ngày trong tủ ổn nhiệt tại các điều kiện độ mặn 30psu, 10psu, 5psu ở các nồng độ NH4+-N từ 100μM đến 10.000μM, tương đương với điều kiện nuôi trồng thủy sản nước mặn. Nồng độ cao nhất của NH4+-N được loại bỏ khoảng 690 μmol NH4+(12,42mg NH4 +) tại 30psu, 410μmol NH4+(7,38mg NH4+) tại 10psu và 350 μmol NH4+(6.3mg NH4+) tại 5psu, trong đó tỉ lệ sinh trưởng của Ulva sp. là rất cao, sinh trưởng từ 49 đến 150% mỗi ngày tại nồng độ ammonium ban đầu 500 μM tương đương với sinh trưởng của vi tảo. Hơn nữa, sau các thí nghiệm trên, sinh khối của Ulva sp. được thử nghiệm sản xuất năng lượng sinh học vì hàm lượng carbohydrate trong tảo rất cao, chiếm khoảng 60-70% trọng lượng khô của tảo. Như vậy, Ulva sp. có thể được nuôi trồng để loại bỏ hợp chất ni tơ trong điều kiện phú dưỡng của các hệ thống nuôi trồng thủy sản, kết hợp với mục tiêu sản xuất năng lượng sinh học sau thu hoạch.

PhD (Department of Chemical Engineering, Faculty of Engineering and Technology), Vaal University of Technology / Anaerobic digestion (AD) is usually applied in the treatment of distillery effluent due to the fact that it is effective in chemical oxygen demand (COD) reduction and bioenergy recovery. However, due to the presence of biorecalcitrant melanoidins present in distillery effluent, AD is ineffective in colour reduction. For this reason, ultraviolet (UV) photodegradation, which is effective in melanoidins’ degradation, can be integrated with AD to achieve high efficiency in colour and COD reduction. However, the UV process is energy intensive, majorly due to the electricity requirement of the UV lamp. In contrast, the AD process has high potential of renewable energy production in the form of biomethane, which can be transformed into electrical energy and applied to supplement the energy requirement of the UV process. The aim of this study was to evaluate the efficiency of a combined AD-UV system in colour and COD reduction for the treatment of distillery effluent in fluidised bed reactors. The potential of the application of the bioenergy produced by the AD process to supplement the energy intensive UV process was evaluated and modelled using response surface methodology. In the first place, the optimal hydrodynamic conditions of the fluidised bed reactors were determined using optical attenuation technique. The best homogeneity in the bioreactor, in which zeolite was used as microbial support, was found to be at a superficial liquid velocity of 0.6 cm/s while the best catalyst and gas hold up in the photoreactor were found to be 0.077 and 0.003, respectively. At these conditions, it was found that the initial biological step removed about 90% of COD and only about 50% of the colour while photodegradation post-treatment removed 98% of the remaining colour. Kinetic analysis of the bioreactor showed that ~ 9% of the feed total organic carbon (TOC) was non-biodegradable and this was attributed to the biorecalcitrant melanoidins. Photodegradation post-treatment mineralized the biorecalcitrant melanoidins via a reductive pathway as was indicated by the formation of NH4+ in large quantity compared to NO3-. Kinetic analysis further showed that the rate of substrate utilization in the bioreactor increased with an increase in organic loading rate and it was inversely proportional to the rate of photodegradation post-treatment. Modeling using response surface methodology (RSM) was applied to predict the effects of the operating parameters of the initial AD step on the performance of the photodegradation post-treatment process and the energy efficiency. Energy analysis of the integrated system showed that the AD process could produce 59 kWh/m3 of electricity which could supplement the electricity demand of the UV lamp by 30% leading to operation cost reduction of about USD 4.8/m3. This led to a presumed carbon dioxide emission reduction (CER) of 28.8 kg CO2e/m3.

Global warming is caused by the human induced increase of Greenhouse Gases (GHG) in the atmosphere. GHG emissions need to be reduced, and carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions from fossil sources ceased to mitigate global warming. Energy production and use is a main contributor to fossil sourced emissions in Europe. Sweden has a high part renewable power production but not completely, to have a 100% renewable power production by 2040 is a goal set by Swedish government. By 2045 Sweden also plans to have net zero emissions nationwide and afterwards negative emissions of CO2, to reduce global warming and reach the Paris agreement of maximum 1.5°C global warming level it is urgent and vital to create Carbon (C) sinks and to reach neutral and even negative emissions within the energy sector. Negative emissions can be reached in Combined Heat and Power plants (CHP) by Bio Carbon Capture and Storage (Bio-CCS). Demand on wood chips and bio-energy fuel is increasing on the European continent. A local source of biofuel might contribute to shorter transports, a local C-sink, security in supply and a way to meet both the increasing competition of fuel and the environmental political targets. Here we investigate the available land for local production of bioenergy forests in Södertälje and the amount of energy possible to produce from that. Using a detailed biotope database over the municipality, Biotopdatabasen, and a Geographical Information System (GIS) based approach 5 scenarios of potential land areal for planting of energy forests in the municipality have been analysed. Different criteria selections in biotopes, grasslands and historical crop fields, and land use, used or un-used, builds the scenarios; 1. All available grasslands, 1010 ha, 2. All available grasslands on earlier crop fields, 815 ha, 3. Unused available grassland on earlier crop field, 300 ha, 4. Available land on earlier crop fields, including forestry, 1715 ha, 5. Unused available land on earlier crop fields, 366 ha. Gross annual energy yields from energy forest in the scenarios were estimated to; 1. 46,2-65,1 GWh/y, 2. 37,3-52,5 GWh/y, 3. 13,7-19,3 GWh/y, 4. 78,4-110,5 GWh/y, 5. 16,7-23,6 GWh/y. The yield from all these scenarios will, in the expected gross normal yield scenario, match the energy produced today by fossil fuels in the local CHP and heating plant (0.64%, 2020) yields 0.69-3.96% of total energy produced. Scenarios 3 and 5 are considered likely scenarios but the effect on spreading pathways and thereby biodiversity needs to be assessed, using old crop fields lowers the risk of harming important biodiversity and possibly help restore C sink in soils.