| Different fractions of banana (stalk, peel, and flesh) as well as the whole unpeeled banana were studied in a laboratory Biochemical Methane Potential (BMP) assay. After completion of 35-day digestion at 37°C in 2L-reactors, specific methane yields reached 0.256, 0.322, 0.367 and 0.349 m³/kg VS (volatile solids) for stalk, peel, flesh, and unpeeled banana respectively. Considering the country of Uganda, East Africa, the collection of peels and stalks from banana production would yield a theoretical potential of about 60 GWh of electrical energy per year in biogas plants. In order to verify the suitability of banana fractions to the biogas process, their chemical composition was analyzed, and their methane production kinetics was estimated with exponential... |
