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Study on the Biogas Energy Potential of Cactus (Opuntia Ficus-Indica (L.)

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 Ethiopian Journal of Science and Sustainable Development (EJSSD)
p-ISSN 1998-0531 Volume 5 (2), 2018

Study on the Biogas Energy Potential of Cactus (Opuntia Ficus-

Indica (L.) Mill.)
Jemal Beshir Belay1 and Abubaker Yimam Ali2,*
1
Department of Sustainable Energy Engineering, Jimma Institute of Technology,
Jimma University, Jimma, Ethiopia. E-mail: [email protected], Tel:
+251912288775
2
School of Chemical and Bio Engineering, Addis Ababa Institute of Technology, Addis
Ababa University, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. E-mail: [email protected],
Tel: +251-11-23-24-17
*corresponding author
Abstract
Bioenergy is a renewable energy and it contribute to solve the present and future energy
problems. Among the alternative bio energy sources, biogas production from different
sources were currently applicable. Biogas production from energy crops, agriculture
waste and various residential and industrial waste material are limited; thus, new
renewable sources are sought after. This paper presents the experimental results of the
anaerobic digestion of cactus (Opuntia ficus-indica) (L.) and methane content of each
of the treatments. The sample of the plant (cactus) was cut, purified from spin and
homogenized. The processes of anaerobic digestion for the generation of biogas was
then conducted by varying the temperature and the maturity of cactus in eight
treatments as, T1 and T2 (<1-year cactus at 27°C and 37°C), T3 and T4 (1-year cactus
at 27°C and 37°C), T5 and T6 (2-year cactus at 27°C and 37°C), T7 and T8 (3-year
cactus at 27°C and 37°C) were performed. From 500g of cactus, it was found that the
amount of biogas production and quality was highest in T2 (3500 ml of biogas and 49%
CH4) and T7 produced the minimum biogas production and quality (2500ml of biogas
and 33% CH4). Thus, Cactus can be digested alone or it can be one of the feed stock
for co-digestion process.
Keywords: Aanaerobic digestion, methane, biogas, cactus

1. Introduction intense. Several issues must be analyzed

A large-scale biofuel feed stock in the search for the most appropriate
cultivation using agricultural land substrate, including availability of agro-
decreased food availability and boosted industrial residues, adaptation of second-
food price dynamics, especially in generation energy crops to local soil and
developing countries (Valentine et al., climate, transportation costs and
2012). Due to these negative impacts, environmental impacts (Calabrò et al.,
second generation feed stocks were the 2016; Chandra et al., 2012; Moraes et al.,
alternatives for biofuel production, and 2014). Among the alternative feed stock
research for these new feed stocks is cactus (opuntia ficus-indica) is a
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Jemal Beshir & Abubake Yimam EJSSD, V 5 (2), 2018
promising feed stock for biogas residuals in dried form was 7-22%
production. cellulose, 9-19% hemicellulose, 8-16%
This paper focuses mainly on biogas lignin, 64-71% carbohydrate (total
production from cactus (opuntia ficus- polysaccharides) and 17-24% ash. As
indica). The advantage of the digestion of reported in Calabrò et al. (2017), the
these biomass is: it does not compete cactus had a total of 93.4% water, 6.6%
with the land usage for feed or food solid content and 78.2% volatile solid
production, which can tolerate surprising content.
bouts of cold weather and it can be grown
on veritable desert-like wastelands, 2.2. Determination of the Physico-
where conventional crops would wither Chemical properties of the Feed
and die. Although the cactus is native to stocks
semi-arid regions with stifling hot 2.2.1. Total Solid (TS), Volatile
temperatures, it can also survive and
Solid (VS), Carbon to Nitrogen
even thrive in mountainous areas that can
ration (C/N)
have temperatures as low as minus 15
10 gm of freshly collected samples of
degrees Celsius. (wayland, 2010). The
each of cactus age were weighed using
world has millions of hectares of land
digital weight measuring device and
prone to drought and desertification,
placed inside an oven maintained at
Opuntia helps create vegetative cover,
105°C for 24 hours, then the sample
which enhances soil regeneration and
ignited at 650°C in furnace for 3 hours as
improves the infiltration of rainfall back
indicated in Jigar et al. (2011) in
in to the soil (Calabrò et al., 2017).
duplicate to determine the total and
2. Material and Method volatile solid content. The carbon content
of the feed stock is measured by
2.1. Description of cactus (opuntia
considering the volatile solids content
ficus indica)
that was expressed as a percentage and
The cactus (Opuntia ficus indica)
the total carbon content was obtained
used in all experiments are obtain from
from volatile solids. The Kjeldahl
Adigrat (Tigray, Ethiopia). It was collect
method was employed to determine the
with its age group that is <1, 1, 2, and 3
total nitrogen content of the feedstocks.
years old and the age was determined by
asking the cactus farmer. The collected 2.3. Digester Composition
cactus was cut manually into small pieces For the purpose of this study the
and homogenize used for digestion as amount of cactus in digesters was fixed
reported in Wayland (2010). Per Santos to be 500 gm (taking the digesters
et al. (2016); Gabriel and Victor (2014); volume in to consideration) and the wet
Malainine et al. (2015) and Yang et al. cactus was added to 3 L of plastic bottle
(2015), the composition of these digesters. To prepare the cactus for
anaerobic digestion first the cactus plant
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Jemal Beshir & Abubake Yimam EJSSD, V 5 (2), 2018
cut manualy by knife and reduce the size controled by using the water bath
to 2 mm (Sun and Cheng, 2002) by (model:HWS-24, voltage 220 V, 50 Hz,
blaender. It can be used to improve the power 1000 w).
digestibility of the lignocellulosic
2.5. Expermental setup
materials (Taherzadeh & Karimi, 2008).
The experimental set up for the study
Per Sasse (1988) & Nijaguna (2002), a
on batch digestion consists of plastic
wet anaerobic digestion process has an
bottle with a plastic stopper (Figure 1).
optimal total solid (TS) content of 5 to
All the eight anaerobic digesters were
10%. When the TS values were above the
constructed in bench-scale experiments
optimal value, water was added to obtain
at which the degradation of the substrate
the optimum concentration of 9% TS.
was accomplished in sealed plastic
For this study the water content were
bottles with a capacity of 3 liters in Addis
adjusted per the indicated optimal
Ababa institute of technology (AAiT)
condition and to initiate or start up the
Environmental Engineering laboratory. Each
digestion process 10% of inoculem was
bottle was sealed with a rubber stopper
added for all treatments (Mazumdar,
having one outlets. The outlet was
1982; Nijaguna, 2002).
attached to the branched connector one
2.4. Controlling conditions branch connect to plastic air bag and the
The digesters’ internal working other one is closed and it is used to
temperature was maintained at 27oC for measure the volume collected gas.
the sample <1, 1, 2 and 3 years old cactus Manual agitation was take place by
and 37oC for the other <1, 1, 2 and 3 shacking the digester by hand in each
years old cactus samples and PH was day. There were eight (8) treatments T1
adjusted at 6.8 once for all treatments. (<1-year cactus at 27oC), T2 (<1-year
This is in agreement with a pH range of cactus at 37oC), T3 (1-year cactus at
6.25 to 7.5 which is conducive for 27oC), T4 (1-year cactus at 37oC), T5 (2-
methanogenic bacteria to function year cactus at 27oC), T6 (2-year cactus at
properly as indicated by Rai (2004). The 37oC), T7 (3-year cactus at 27oC) and T8
tempreture were constant througout the (3-year cactus at 37oC).
process time. This tempreture is

Figure 1. Expermental setup

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Jemal Beshir & Abubake Yimam EJSSD, V 5 (2), 2018
3. Result and Discussion and % C/N between the samples (values
are mean and SE, n=4)) were determined.
3.1. Characterization of feed stocks Each test were conducted two times and
The Characteristics of feed stock (%
the average values are shown in Table 1.
moisture content, %TS, %VS, %C, %N
Table 1. Characteristics of feed stock (% moisture content, %TS, %VS, %C, %N and
% C/N between the samples (values are mean and SE, n=4))
Parametres S1 (%) S2 (%) S3(%) S4(%) Mean SE
Moisture content 95.3 93 90.5 87 91.45 1.78
TS 4.7 7.0 9.5 13 8.55 1.78
VS as percentage of TS 80.8 74.3 73.7 69.2 74.5 2.39
Ash as percentage of TS 19.1 25.7 26.3 30.8 25.47 2.41
C 44.9 41.3 40.9 38.4 41.37 1.34
N 1.3 0.92 0.83 0.72 0.94 0.12
C/N 34.5 44.9 49.3 53.3 45.5 4.0

The mean moisture shows that the condition process with an optimal total
moisture content of cactus less than one solid (TS) content of 5 to 10%. Except
year old cactus was higher than other the last sample (TS=13%) all sampleas
cactus samples, as a result increasing the were allmost under optimal condition.
degree of digestion as bacteria can easily And Out of the total solid the volatile
access liquid substrate for relevant solid (VS) were 69.2 - 80.8% this
reactions to take place easily. Determining indicated that large fraction of cactus is
TS and VS, it is important to understand biodegradable and thus it can serve as an
that high content of volatile fatty acids important feedstock for biogas production.
(VFAs) in the substrates. The maximum The carbon to nitrogen ratio of the feed
TS (sample 4) was measured in 3 years stocks is another factor that affects the
old cactus, where as the minimum TS anaerobic digestion process. The percent
were measured from < 1 year old cactus degradation of organic carbon for < 1
(Table 1). This may show that 3 years old year old cactus (44.9) was higher than all
cactus contain more total solids (from 38.4 to 41.37) (Table 1). The
compared to other samples, but the results also revealed that there are
biodegradiabilty of the sample were differences in percentage of organic
determined by analyzing the volatile carbon between samples. Comparison of
content of substrates. The total solid %C showed that %C significantly
content of all sample before AD was decreased when the age of cactus
between 4.7 to 13.0%. Per Sasse (1988) increases. The C/N of all samples does
and Nijaguna (2002) biogas digesters not agree with the sugessted value 20:1
generally follow a wet anaerobic to 30:1 as reported by Dahlman and Forst
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 Jemal Beshir & Abubake Yimam EJSSD, V 5 (2), 2018
(2001) as cited in Yitayal Addis (2011). bacteria, the PH of the treatments were
This indicates that cactus needs adjusted once before starting the
additional substrate to minimize its C/N digestion at 6.8 (Ria, 2004) and after
ratio to the optimum level. digestion the PH of the treatment were
T1=5.1, T2=5.5, T3=4.7, T4=5.4,
3.2. Characteristics of digesters
T5=4.2, T6=4.6, T7=4.5, T8=4.8. The
(Tempreture and PH) relative higest value of the out put PH
Temperature and PH are the main
was the indication of the digestion of
factors that affect bio-digestion.
volatile acid and nitrogen compounds,
Consequently, the temperature were
and more methane was produced.
adjusted at 27oC for the treatments T1,
T3, T5,T7 and 37oC for the treatments 3.3. Amount and Quality of biogas
T2, T4, T6, T8. From the expermental
production
result treatments those treated in 37oC
Biogas production and its methane
(T2 (49% CH4), T4 (45% CH4), T6(40%
content were measured for about 45 days
CH4) and T8 (40% CH4)) produced
of digestion period until gas production
higher amount methane when compered
was stopped. It was found that treatment
to other corrosponding treatments T1,
T4 produced the highest (900 ml) of gas
T3,T5 and T7 those treated in 27oC.
in the first 20 days of digestion, the
Producing biogas in a tempreture of 37oC
methane% is zero for all treatments for
was much better than producing in 27oC.
the first 15 days, but the other gases were
The PH of each digester were also
produced in the first five days those are
adjusted 6.8 at the beginning of the
CO2, O2, H2S (<10ppm) and the balance
digestion process. The PH of all the
were atmospheric nitrogen. This indicates
treatments came down at the end of the
that feed stock (cactus) were not satble
digestion period. This may be due to the
for biogas production until day 20.
formation of acids by acidogenic
1000
900 T1
Amount of Biogas (ml)

800 T2
700
600 T3
500 T4
400
T5
300
200 T6
100 T7
0
5 10 15 20 25 30 35 40 45 T8
Retention time(days)

Figure 2. Biogas production comparisim between treatments

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Jemal Beshir & Abubake Yimam EJSSD, V 5 (2), 2018
Figure 2. shows the amount of biogas greater than those of the corresponding
(ml) produced in the whole digestion treatments. For the first 15 days of
period. 2700 ml, 3500 ml, 2600 ml, 3400 fermentation period all treatments
ml, 2700 ml, 2600 ml, 2500 ml and 2600 produced gas that have no methane and it
ml of the total biogas produced in T1, T2, containes CO2, O2, <10ppm H2S and the
T3, T4, T5, T6, T7, and T8, respectively balance atmospheric nitrogen, after 15
in the whole fermentation period. The days of lage phase the digester starts
standard diviation were 137.84, 172.24, producing methane. T2 produced more
136.62, 250.33, 137.84, 150.55, 132.91, than other treatments in day 20. The
196.63 for T1, T2, T3, T4, T5, T6, T7 and average methane quality was high in T2
T8, respectivly. From the result the (49%) and T4 (45%). The other
highest standrd diviation scored in T4 treatments it is between 33 to 41%. These
(250.33 Std. Diviation) which means significant variations in the amount,
there were the highest volume variation quality and rate of biogas production may
between measured days in test four. The be due to the feedstock difference
amount of biogas within six treatment (different concentration and amount of
(T1, T3, T5, T6 , T7 and T8) were 2500 volatile solid) and difference in
ml to 2700 ml, these indecated that the tempreture.
volume of biogas of the treatments were
3.5. Characterization of Digestate
not highely affected by the controled
(slurry )
parameters (age and temperature), but the One advantage of anaerobic digestion
two treatments T2 and T4 gives the is the use of the digestate (slurry). To
higher amounts of bio gas (3500 ml and characterize the digestate tests were done
3400 ml) than other treatments. And also two times and the mean values were
T2 (<1 year cactus at 37oC) produced the indicated, total solid (TS) were 2.3%,
maximum of average methane 2.1%, 3.6%, 3.2%, 5.1%, 4.3%, 5.4 and
6.8% and volatile solid (VS) were 6.1%,
percentage 49% and T4 (1 year cactus at
5.2%,12.5%, 11.3%, 13.2%, 12.4%,
37oC) was 45%. The maximum methane 15.1% and 14.7% for treatment T1, T2,
percentage were measured at day 30 for T3, T4, T5, T6, T7 and T8. According to
treatmets T1 up to T4 and day 35 for the Joenssen et al. (2004) anaerobic
remainnig four treatments. This indicated digestion only removes organics and the
that < 1 and 1years old cactus were stable main mineral material and almost all
nutrients remain in the bottom sludge, the
early. The lag phase was observed at the
result indicated that organics are
beginning of the experiment, because the decomposed. After digestion , the PH of
cactus need time for stablization. the slurry were 5.5, 5.1, 5.4, 4.7, 4.2, 4.6,
4.5, 4.3. for T1, T2, T3, T4, T5, T6, T7
3.4. Comparison of treatments
and T8 respectively. The PH of the slurry
Figure 3. indicate that the total gas of T1-T4 were higher than other
production and the percentage of treatments that revealed the four
methane of treatments (T2 and T4) were treatments (T1-T4) were better in
88
© Adama Science & Technology University https://ejssd.astu.edu.et
Jemal Beshir & Abubake Yimam EJSSD, V 5 (2), 2018
methanoginesis procees (had high in The solid digestate can be used for forage
conversion of acetic acid to methane). by mixing with flour of earth warms.

3500 3400
3500
Amount of biogas (ml)

3000 2700 2600 2700 2600 2600

2500
2500
2000 1715
1530
1500 1107 1040 1040
988 945
825
1000
500 41 49 38 45 35 40 33 40
0
T1 T2 T3 T4 T5 T6 T7 T8
Treatment

amount of bio gas amount of methane overall % methane

Figure 3. The total biogas, methane and its overall percentage of treatments

4. Conclusion it might need feed stocks which are rich

Out of the total solid, the volatile solid in nitrogen, if used as substrate for biogas
(VS) were 69.2 - 80.8% indicating that production. Further investigation will be
large fraction of cactus is biodegradable needed to confirm which nitrogen reach
and thus it can serve as an important substrate is sutable for co-digestuion
feedstock for biogas production. Less with cactus for optimum biogas
than one year old cactus and one year old production.
cactus treated at 37oC (T2 and T4) give
Acknowledgment
the highest quality biogas (49% and 45%
The authers acknowledge Center of
CH4) the the other treatments. Further
Energy Technology and School of
research will be needed to confirm the
Chemical and Bio Engineering
high energy density of cactus for biogas
AAiT/AAU for laboratory facilities and
production. The cactus biomass is highly
Wolkite University for financial support.
organic that have less nitrogen, therefore

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