The BSRC visitors watch closely as the tanker delivers feedstock to the unloading hall at Gasum鈥檚 biogas plant in G枚tene. The tank is emptied of feedstock and then filled with finished digestate, which is transported back to local farms.
"This allows us to optimise transport operations, since the digestate needs to be returned to the farmers. We receive around 1,000 tonnes of feedstock every day. A facility like this should minimise empty return journeys wherever possible. Circularity is an important part of the process," says Bj枚rn Magnusson, Senior Planning and Process Engineer at Gasum.
Ulrik Svedin
The industry has matured
Several participants from the Biogas Solutions Research Center (BSRC) were impressed during the study visit.
"The industry has matured. Modern facilities are becoming increasingly similar in their design and operation, which is a positive development because it makes it easier to share experiences and best practice," says Jonas Ammenberg, Associate Professor at BSRC.
Gasum's biogas plant in G枚tene, featuring three primary digesters.The facility has three primary digesters, two secondary digesters and then a final post-digestion tank.
"More than ten per cent of our total production comes from the secondary digestion stage, which is a fairly significant share," says Bj枚rn Magnusson.
Nutrient-rich fertiliser
The plant's location in G枚tene, in the province of V盲sterg枚tland, was chosen because the surrounding area has a high concentration of different types of farming.
"The feedstock consists of crop residues from farms, along with manure from cattle, pigs and poultry. We also take in a small amount of waste from the food industry."
After the biogas production process, a nutrient-rich fertiliser remains. This is the material that is transported back to farms. Gasum's G枚tene facility was commissioned in 2024, and Bj枚rn Magnusson is candid about the fact that there were some teething problems when the plant first opened.
I think we need to remind each
other that it actually works听
"We had a lot of foreign material coming in, such as stones and metal. But we have that under control now. There were also some issues with the sensors, as well as purely mechanical challenges involving pumps and compressors. We have made many improvements to the information and control systems. There is a great deal of operation and maintenance work involved, but things are running smoothly now," says Bj枚rn Magnusson.
Local collaborations
He highlights a positive aspect for biogas producers:
"We are still achieving the production levels the facility was designed for. I think we need to remind each other that it actually works, even when we are up to our knees in work."
In addition to working closely with local farmers, the plant collaborates with a number of other organisations in the area. For example, heat will be supplied from the neighbouring district heating plant, while lake water from Lake V盲nern is provided via G枚tene Municipality for use as firefighting water. The facility has also received co-funding from Klimatklivet, Sweden's climate investment programme, and the European Union.
