Recently, we find out how to produce bioethanol from sunflower by-products. We offer to talk about biogas.

Why are sunflower by-products not the best option for solid biofuel production?

During harvesting, sunflower by-products can have a high moisture content, making it difficult to store and process them into solid biofuels.

Under what conditions is biogas production possible?

Such wet biomass can be used for biogas production. However, due to the high content of lignocellulosic chemical compounds in sunflower by-products, it must be pretreated for mechanical, physical, or chemical destruction before the fermentation.

Methane yield is shown in the figure below:

  • from sunflower heads;
  • from sunflower stalks.

Which is better: heads or stalks?

Heads are considered to be a better raw material for biogas production in comparison with sunflower stalks. Why? Expert arguments are already on the SAF platform: https://saf.org.ua/en/news/1230/.

Why else grow sunflowers?

Some farmers grow sunflower for green fodder and silage. For comparison: the yield of methane from sunflower silage is 298 nm3/t. The yield of methane from various plant substrates is presented in the table. Also, learn why alkali pretreatment of sunflower by-products before the anaerobic fermentation is needed.

The yield of methane from various plant substrates

It will be recalled that UABIO is a partner of the SAF platform (Sustainable Agribusiness Forum) from the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development.


Read more: Biogas production from sunflower by-products: materials on the SAF platform