Sažetak
Although corn silage has historically served as the primary raw material for biogas production, there is
an obvious shift towards more sustainable sources. Particularly, there has been interest in agricultural
energy crops such as Arundo donax. This study evaluated the biogas/biomethane production of A.
donax and a mixture of corn silage and A. donax in two ratios (1:2 and 2:1) through the process
of anaerobic digestion with COD, DM content, VS, pH value, and FOS/TAC being continuously
monitored. During this process, the comparative analysis accentuates the viability of both, A. donax
and corn silage, as well as their mixtures as potent feedstocks for biogas production. The biogas yields
ranged from 356.81 to 548.81 NL/kg VS. It was observed that a 100 % A. donax substrate exhibited a
superior biogas yield initially, however, an intriguing boost in methane proportion was noted with a
mixture at a 1:2 ratio, underlining the essence of the synergistic interaction between the feedstocks in
methane production. Notably, the levels of H2S were within permissible limits, eliminating the need for
further desulphurization procedures, which is important. Further studies are necessary to identify the
optimal mixture ratios of corn silage and A. donax that maximize biogas and methane production and
should also explore the feasibility of storing the crop, considering the continuous process of AD and
the seasonality of feedstock, to ensure more consistent and efficient biogas production.
Ključne riječi
agricultural energy crops; Arundo donax; biogas; biomethane