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1. Summary The Project ÖKOFIT II - Biogas can be regarded as being a consistent continuation of the finished Project ÖKOFIT. The Regional Project "ÖKOFIT" ("Ökologischer Bezirk Feldbach durch integrierte Technik" - "Ecological District of Feldbach due to Integrated Technology") offers a well-founded analysis of the situation of the Region of Feldbach and thus gives information on many problems in the ecological and economic fields. In this follow-up project, one of these problems is to be dealt with more intensively. A project that analyses the material and energy flows on a regional level (just like ÖKOFIT I) can score the advantage that opportunities for an area-wide optimisation can be shown. Regional deliberations are of utmost importance for economic and ecological progress in a region and a helpful preliminary stage allowing to optimise approaches conceived in a company at defined points. What must, however, be regarded as being a problem is that the data base on the material and energy flows induced by companies cannot be recorded sufficiently. Furthermore, a regional project can only initiate the implementation of the planned options but cannot really manage them in detail. It is the implementation of an important and ecologically viable option that is pursued with this follow-up project. The Project ÖKOFIT follows the principle that closing material cycles and utilising energy cascades do not only yield ecological advantages but also economic advantages. The proposed solutions must be adjusted to the regional conditions and commercial necessities of the companies participating. The project team sees itself as a mediator and consultant in view of establishing a regional network of companies, whose cooperation to the mutual benefit is done autonomously.
2. Starting Position In the Project "ÖKOFIT" ("Ökologischer Bezirk Feldbach durch integrierte Technik" - "Ecological District of Feldbach due to Integrated Technology"), preliminary work was done for the present Project ÖKOFIT - II BIOGAS. Besides such organisational preliminary work as establishing contacts to companies and representatives of interests, it is preliminary work relating to the data base that is particularly interesting. Studies made according to the method of analysing a region as to its potential for sustainable development, which was developed in this project, have shown that the business of butchers and farms breeding animals for slaughter is a "key area". For analysing this field of business, the following procedure was chosen (Narodoslawsky, Wallner and Steinmüller, 1995, page 194)
The overall concept of this project is embedded in a legal situation that makes an exact estimate quite difficult. The legislator obviously is not prepared to this special situation yet. The erection of a biogas facility as it is provided for in this concept requires extensive authorisation procedures. According to the concept, this facility is a commercial/industrial facility, i. e. no agricultural biogas facility. It is only in case of an agricultural biogas facility that the erection and operation do not require any authorisation in terms of waste law and trade law. In addition to the authorisations mentioned above, the legislator requires an authorisation in terms of building law and an authorisation accordig to the "Steiermärkische Gasgesetz 1973 (LGBl. Nr. 54/1973 i.d.g.F. LGBl. Nr. 46/1987)" ("Styrian Gas Act 1973 (LGBl. No. 54/1973 in its applicable version LGBl. No. 46/1987 - LGBl. - Landesgesetzblatt - Provincial Law Gazette)" if the gas quantity produced per hour reaches a net calorific value of 60,000 kcal (this corresponds to a daily gas quantity of appr. 280 m³ (Hummel and Rupp, 1996)).
3. Goals ÖKOFIT - II Biogas is to help to establish new regional structures for slaughterhouses and farms, which contribute to improving the economic and ecological situation of the region. Preliminary discussions with three companies working in the slaughtering business and the "Landwirtschaftskammer" ("Chamber of Agriculture") and some farms breeding animals for slaughter have shown that the solution of using a biogas facility is desired by the companies and required for the future. Even the local Utility has orally expressed its interest in participating in this project. During the slaughtering process, large quantities of fat are produced. These quantities are separated from their carrier substance (water). In this process, flotation sludge is produced. This means that flotation sludge is a mixture of fats, trails of blood and water (some other impurities remaining in the slaughtering process, e. g. feathers). Directly putting this sludge onto agricultural surfaces is illegal and lawful waste disposal (putting on a landfill) is not economically viable. A possible recycling technology is recycling flotation sludge in a biogas reactor (either as a co-substrate or alone). This technology is pursued with this project, a solution that is feasible in economic and organisational terms being searched. In order to incorporate the slaughterhouses and their "raw material suppliers", the breeding farms, into a joint solution, (i. e. flotation sludge only is a co-fermenter), liquid manure would have to be used as main substrate for the biogas facility. The use of liquid manure would also be advantageous for the fermentation process, which will become more stable. However, the farmers would have to be remunerated for the additional expenditure required for delivering and transporting off liquid manure. Therefore, liquid manure would have to managed as to make sure that the farmers can deliver liquid manure but only have to pick it up again upon demand (only at defined times in the year). Thus agriculture is relieved of the problem of having to use liquid manure at times that are not in line with their needs. Additional advantages for agriculture would be an improved fertilising effect of the biogas manure and a reduced annoyance by bad smell.
4. Procedure The essential advantage of this approach for ecologically sustainable development of the region is the fact that a nutrient cycle would be established within the regional boundaries. Furthermore, the biogas facility contributes to supplying the region with energy. The energy output of the facility (heat and electric energy) can be made available to the slaughterhouses or delivered to a public network. The following items are covered by this project:
5. Result / Benefits The stronger regional orientation of the supply and disposal routes of the companies results in a stronger link with the capacities and potentials of the region. The region is becoming more independent and autonomous in some partial areas. This creates a stabilised situation of economic activities. Networking and cooperation on the regional level have positive effects on both the region as a whole and the companies. In ecological terms this development is connected with approaching sustainable economy. The knowledge on the own potential of the region, i. e. the human resources and the production and assimilation capacities of the regional eco-systems, is to create closer ties with the region. The idea of recycling flotation sludge in a biogas facility, which is suggested here, is shared by important companies of the region. It yields economic advantages for the companies and the region and can be regarded as being an ecologically viable solution. General commercial advantages:
Economic advantages
Ecological advantages:
Only this follow-up project can help to fully utilise the synergy from the regional (ÖKOFIT I) and commercial (ÖKOFIT II) project approach to the benefit of the region as a whole and achieve a positive development.
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