A first order methodology for the sizing and siting of utility-scale biogas plants processing Egypt's lignocellulosic...

Biochemical conversion of agricultural residual biomass has demonstrated its economic viability, despite lignin's slow and incomplete biodegradability. While it is abundantly evident that successful commercial implementation of the anaerobic digestion technology is reliant on large/utility scale settings. The success remains crucially dependent on correct determination of a realistic biogas yield from available biomass. In this paper, we report on Egypt's abundant agricultural residues and present a planning methodology for sizing and siting anaerobic digestion plants at utility-level, while providing guidance on the minimum cost of exploitable biomethane taking Egypt's northern Governorate of Behera as a case study. We begin by a detailed characterisation of Egypt's agri-residue capacity, followed by a classification of key target crops. We then identify biomethane potential under anaerobic co-digestion processes, allowing for feedstock flexibility. An empirical modelling framework is developed for optimizing biogas plant size and operational conditions tailored to residue availability and crop types. Furthermore, a GIS-based siting procedure is proposed where favourable sites are studied. Depending on the mode of agri-waste exploitation, we show that Behera can produce between 0.72 and 0.13 Bm³ yr^-1 of biomethane. Under the assumed market structure, biomethane reaches a levelized production cost of $7.72 MMBTU^-1. Overall, this research provides a comprehensive and scalable methodology for exploiting renewable energy potential and improving waste management in agricultural regions.