Feasibility study

Feasibility study

Bringing you all the technical, economic and regulatory knowledge necessary to determine your project’s feasability

The feasibility study is divided into several parts:

  • The field study for identification, qualification and securing of the input materials
  • The study of the produced digestate’s value
  • The study of the energy needs for the energy recovery
  • The first draft of the project’s sizing
  • The environmental impact of the operation
  • Update on regulations
  • The forecast economic analysis

Studies by LEDJO Energie meet the specifications issued by ADEME, facilitating their inclusion in the event of application. Specific features can also be added to the feasibility study.

Content analysis

We characterise fermentable co-products previously identified in the supply plan: quantity, volume, type of product, quality and seasonality. An estimate of each product’s methane potential is made using LEDJO Energie’s own database of over 1400 elements.

LEDJO Energie is committed to:

  • Estimating each product’s methane potential along with its technical and economic restrictions
  • Determining the ways to transport, stock and treat the selected products
  • Evaluating the induced transport charge depending on possible site location
  • Proposing one or more supply scenarios according to your expectations

Once the products fit for anaerobic digestion are identified LEDJO Energie carries out:

  • A sizing estimation
  • An energetic production estimation, including:
  • Biogas productivity
  • Production of electricity and heat or biomethane
  • Power consumption and heat

Digestate study

The digestate’s characteristics are estimated according to the nature of the incoming material and various tests that can be collected from the waste generators that have been previously identified.

LEDJO Energie agrees to consider the following points:

  • Estimate the total volume produced
  • Estimate agricultural product quality (NPK concentration)
  • Estimate the agronomic value of the digestate by type of crop rotation according to performance targets, quantities and types of products currently spread
  • Identification of technical spreading restrictions and possible technical solutions (phase separation, specific equipment ...)
  • Estimate the necessary spreading surfaces
  • Arrangements for agricultural materials / digestate exchanges
  • Identification of other methods for recycling digestate: approval, standardization

Environmental Analysis

The overall environmental impact is studied, and especially:

  • The profit generated by fossil fuel substitution (estimated profit (kWh / year) compared to the existing situation, estimated reduction of CO2 emissions in tons / year compared to the existing situation )

LEDJO Energie establishes a greenhouse gas emissions report using DIGES, software developed by ADEME specialised in greenhouse gas impact in biogas plants.

LEDJO Energie is Bilan Carbone® (carbon footprint) certified.

Description of regulatory needs

LEDJO Energie carries out a regulatory review for each study, which includes a reminder of the rules on organic recovery units and in particular:

  • The waste legislation including the requirement for animal waste traceability ( European regulations on animal by-products : health approval ) and WWTP sludge
  • The requirements for classified installations for environmental protection (ICPE: sections 2781, 2160, 2910 ...),
  • Regulation on digestate use ( spreading plan ) and biogas recovery ,
  • Conditions and procedure for energy sales (electrical connection process and connection in the case of the injection into the natural gas grid of biométhane i.e. purified biogas).

Economic Analysis

LEDJO Energie determines the estimated investment costs and operating costs of the future unit, allowing to accurately estimate the potential profit. The following will be studied and determined for different scenarios considered:

  • Detailed investment costs (engineering, equipment, civil engineering, levelling work, roads and utilities...)
  • Operating costs and revenues
    • Maintenance and renewal costs
    • Operating expenses (electricity, supplies, water cost, transportation, personnel costs, bank charges, insurance, and cost of land application...)
    • Revenue from energy production (electricity or biomethane injection )
    • Revenue from possible heat production
    • Revenue from waste treatment fees
    • Revenue from the sale of organic by-products
  • Projected profit and loss statement for the next 15 years
  • Intermediate management balances
  • Financing plan and calculation of financial indicators

LEDJO Energie compares different scenarios to define the most relevant one from an economic, environmental, and technical viewpoint.

Additional features

In each case, we can study the relevance of various alternatives or carry out additional studies.

A few examples of additional studies:

  • Solid digestate compost platform study
  • Feasibility study for drying fodder in connection with a cogeneration unit
  • Study on the energetic needs of the community in line with the thermal energy produced by the cogeneration unit

Study of energy needs in the territory

  • Identification of potential energy consumers in the territory
  • Estimation and characterization of projected energy needs ( hot water, steam , gas ...)
  • Determination of the most suitable recovery method for the biogas ( cogeneration boiler, injection, CNG ... )