The Biogas Plant at AU Foulum is used for research in technologies for management and treatment of animal manure from animals to plants, including research in technologies for separation of manure and biogas production from manure to energy crops. Biogas and manure separation systems are a research area where knowledge and techniques contributes to the exploitation of energy from animal manure and to clarify the possibilities of solving the problem of an uneven geographic distribution of nutrients from animal manure. The plant consists of four reactors of 15 L, four reactors of 200 L, two reactors of 10 m³, two reactors of 30 m³ and the main digester of 1200 m³.

• selection and composition of different organic materials on the basis of economy, sustainability and practical application in the biogas process
• pre-treatment of biomass
• application of enzyme-processed household waste
• the significance of using additives in addition to the biomass
• derived effect of different biomasses on the environment for example through reduced discharges of nitrogen to the aquatic environment
• optimal cultivation strategies, harvesting times, etc. for crops

Bioenergy

• production of biogas for fuel cells
• improvements to the physical process in biogas plants in order to increase productivity
• incineration laboratory for test of smaller burners (< 1 MW)

Environment

• the precise effect on the emission of greenhouse gases
• the potential contribution of organic farming to biogas production
• optimisation of plant operation including the measurement of environmental impact