American Biogas Council (ABC) training

This module is focused on “viewing” all substrate as how it is actually Potential Energy for the digester. The view is from the context of the bugs that actually perform the work. When a $45B industry is based on a group of bacteria and organisms, the “bugs”, it is good to think like a bug. Highlights of this session are focused on estimating biogas production and understanding decay of substrates.

This module consistently ranks as the most valuable by our past students. For those of you who haven’t had math in a while, we are providing several video learning opportunities in the weeks leading up to the in-person session. For the in-person we’ll start slowly talking about how to keep track of units when doing your calculations, imperial/metric conversions, how to monitor overloads, converting biogas into energy values, and business considerations like determining the value of heat and electricity compared to renewable natural gas. Finally, we’ll walk you through how to determine whether you should accept a truckload of material that shows up at your door. Will the material make money or will it cost you more to deal with the water because there’s so little biogas potential in its contents?

Although emphasis is often and rightly placed on the biological aspects of digester operation, it is important to remember that an AD system is primarily a MECHANICAL SYSTEM. Understanding how to make sure the mechanical systems are operating optimally is critical.  We’ll cover receiving material, conveyance, storage and pre-treatment; then mixing, heating and gas handling; finally, we’ll take you through digestate separation, and handling the separated liquids and solids.

This session is considered the most popular year in and year out. No matter if your site is producing renewable natural gas or electricity, the raw biogas must be pre-treated and either consumed or pass on for off-site use. This module covers high level H2S removal, biogas upgrading to RNG/pipeline quality, engines, and managing both gas and electrical interconnections with the local utility.

Includes information on foundational principles of maintenance strategy, specifically tailored for biogas plants. We’ll explore how to establish effective maintenance systems, leverage Computerized Maintenance Management Systems (CMMS) for optimized operations, understand the nuances of Operational Expenditure (OpEx) within a biogas context, and introduce key maintenance strategies like preventive, predictive, and reliability-centered maintenance to ensure long-term asset health and performance.

This module is both an application of the content that you’ve learned in the previous modules and preparation for the tour this afternoon. It’s often loud on site, so we’ll cover some of the technical details when it’s easier to hear to enhance the value of your experience on site.

The American Biogas Council’s (ABC’s) Digester Operator Certification elevates the knowledge of anaerobic digester operators to optimize digester performance and avoid costly operational mistakes. To complete Operator Certification, operators must complete three parts: a 9 part training course, proof of operations experience, passing the operator`s exam.