Biogas Production Potential of Poultry Discharge in a Batch Reactor at Mesophilic Temperature

Renewable energy technology is seemingly becoming an antidote to the negative environmental effect being experienced using conventional energy resources (fossil fuels) in most part of the world today. This study was on biogas production technologies as a renewable and sustainable alternative to depleting conventional sources. Biogas was produced from poultry discharge using a thermostatic cabinet (batch reactor) operated at mesophilic temperature (37°C). The reactor was fed with poultry discharge calculated based on its volatile solid (VS) concentration. The concentration of the gas produced was measured with the gas analyzer GA 2000 model. The biogas and methane yields obtained were 509.6 L/kgVS and 328.2 LCH4/kgVS respectively. After the headspace correction, the Methane (CH4) content was found to be 76.7% while the Carbon dioxide (CO2)constituted up to 14.3%. This study has established that poultry discharge is a decent renewable energy source for sustainable development in emerging nations of Africa.