Jørgen Fink from Xergi Ltd presented on the X-chopper, a biomass pre-treatment system. The X-chopper was developed in response to client needs to process solid biomass like manure that is difficult to handle but has high methane potential. Existing pre-treatment solutions had unacceptable functioning or high energy demands. The X-chopper consists of an X-hopper feed system and an X-belt conveyor that feeds biomass to the X-chopper. Case studies from biogas plants in France and Denmark that replaced hammer mills with the X-chopper showed increased processing capacity while handling various biomass feeds including manure and food waste.

1. OPERATIONAL PERFORMANCE –
ADDITIVES AND PLANT STABILITY
#UKADBiogas @adbioresources
CHAIR:
DR HUGH BULSON, ORA
PANEL:
BRITT NILSSON, KEMIRA KEMI AB
JØRGEN FINK, XERGI
DR THOMAS FRITZ, SCHAUMANN BIOENERGY
DR STEPHEN TEMPLE, JF TEMPLE & SON

2. Presentation of the X-chopper®
Jørgen Fink
Xergi Ltd.

3. Background for the X-chopper® development
Initiated by clients wanting to include:
- Solid biomass difficult to handle but with high gas
potential (for example farm yard manure/deep litter)
- With a minimum energy demand for the pre-treatment
Existing solutions for pre-treatment were not acceptable in
relation to the functioning and the energy demand

4. Configuration
X-chopper®
X-belt®X-hopper®

5. X-hopper®

6. X-hopper®

7. X-belt®

8. X-chopper®

9. Operation experiences
Tiper Methanisation, France
2012: Operation start
2014: Hammer mill replaced by X-chopper
Biomass: Farm yard manure + waste from food
processing
Capacity: 2.2 MW electricity
Energi Vegger, Denmark
1987: Operation start
2013: 3-4 times increase in capacity
Installation of X-chopper®
Biomass: slurry, farm yard manure, industrial
waste and waste from food processing
Capacity: 1.5 MW electricity + up to 300 m3/hour
of bio-methane to Arla

10. Farm yard manure at Vegger Biogas, DK

11. OPERATIONAL PERFORMANCE –
ADDITIVES AND PLANT STABILITY
#UKADBiogas @adbioresources
CHAIR:
DR HUGH BULSON, ORA
PANEL:
BRITT NILSSON, KEMIRA KEMI AB
JØRGEN FINK, XERGI
DR THOMAS FRITZ, SCHAUMANN BIOENERGY
DR STEPHEN TEMPLE, JF TEMPLE & SON