Valorization of Dairy By-Products: Efficiency of Energy Production from Biogas Obtained in Anaerobic Digestion of Ultrafiltration Permeates

Abstract

This study aimed at evaluating the methane potential of two ultrafiltration (UFP) and two diafiltration (DFP) permeates generated during milk protein concentration. The permeates were characterized by a different chemical oxygen demand (COD) ranging from 7610 mg O2/L to 57,020 mg O2/L. The CH4 production efficiency was recorded for 20 days and ranged from 149 to 181 NL/kg CODadded. Moreover, the possibilities of the use of UFP/DFP to produce electricity and heat with a combined heat and power (CHP) unit was analyzed to underline the impact of the implementation of anaerobic digestion on the electric and thermal energy requirements of a dairy plant. It was concluded that the application of anaerobic digestion to UFP and DFP treatments generates the energy required to cover all the large-scale dairy plant energy demands and produce extra income. The amount of permeates generated annually in the analyzed dairy plant will enable the production of approx. 22,699 MWh of electricity and 85,516 GJ of heat. This would require a biogas plant with a 3 MW yield. Additionally, the lactose production from UFP/DFP was considered as an alternative or parallel solution for its management. The study confirmed that the biogas and lactose production from UFP/DFP enables plant owners to adjust a plant’s management towards one of these two solutions.