INTEGRA is a ready-to-use liquid blend of essential trace elements formulated for anaerobic digesters. It provides a balanced mix of micronutrients crucial for the metabolic activities of biogas-producing microbes. INTEGRA is designed to be a convenient solution to trace element supplementation, ensuring that your biogas plant’s microbial community has the vitamins and minerals it needs for optimal performance. Regular use of INTEGRA helps stabilise biogas production, enhance methane yield, and prevent process instabilities that can occur due to nutrient deficiencies. It is especially useful for plants that prefer a liquid additive for easy dosing directly into the fermenter or feed system.
Complete Micronutrient Profile: Delivers all the key trace elements (such as cobalt, nickel, selenium, iron, etc.) necessary for robust microbial enzyme function in the digester. This helps steady biogas output and avoids performance drops caused by nutrient gaps.
Easy Liquid Application: Being a liquid product, INTEGRA is simple to dose – it can be pumped or poured directly into the digester, pre-feed tank, or onto the biomass. No premixing or dissolving is helpful in streamlining daily operations.
Consistent Fermentation Performance: Regular dosing ensures stable fermentation with less risk of process upsets like volatile fatty acid (VFA) accumulation or souring. This consistency leads to higher uptime and reliable methane production.
Boosted Methane Yields: INTEGRA can increase methane yield from the same amount of feedstock. More complete digestion of substrates means better feedstock efficiency and higher energy output.
Preventative Maintenance: Using INTEGRA is like a nutritional insurance policy for your AD plant – it prevents micronutrient deficiencies that could inhibit microbial activity. This proactive approach can ward off potential issues before they escalate (saving money on emergency interventions).
INTEGRA’s mode of action is supplying a balanced dose of trace elements in a bioavailable form to the digester. In an anaerobic digester, certain microbes (especially the methane-forming archaea) require trace metals to form key enzymes (for example, the enzyme coenzyme M reductase for methanogenesis requires nickel, and other steps require cobalt, etc.) Deficiencies in these trace nutrients can slow down or halt the respective biochemical reactions. INTEGRA contains these micronutrients in soluble form, so when added to the fermenter, they are immediately available for microbial uptake. The chelated trace elements quickly integrate into microbial enzyme systems, accelerating the digestion of volatile fatty acids and other intermediates into methane. Essentially, INTEGRA removes nutritional bottlenecks, allowing the anaerobic digestion process to proceed, this leads to a more robust microbial population and a more efficient and stable methane production process.
Using INTEGRA is straightforward. It is typically added daily or continuously to the AD system to maintain consistent micronutrient levels. The recommended dosage is about 0.2 liters of INTEGRA per day for every 100 kW of installed plant capacity. For example, a 500 kW biogas plant would use approximately 1.0 L of INTEGRA per day. The liquid can be introduced in several ways:
Direct Fermenter Dosing: Pour or pump the measured daily amount directly into the fermenter or primary digester.
Pre-feed Tank: Mix the daily dose into a slurry tank or pre-feed tank so it distributes evenly with the incoming feedstock.
On Feedstock: Spray or pour the dose onto solid biomass (e.g., on silage or manure) before it enters the digester, ensuring it mixes with the substrate.
Because INTEGRA is liquid, it disperses rapidly within the digester contents. It’s best to add it at a point in the process where there is good mixing (to ensure the nutrients spread throughout). Always follow the specific guidance provided with the product for your setup, and consult Realistic Agri if your plant has unusual configurations. It’s also recommended to perform periodic digestate tests to fine-tune the dosage if needed, as extremely high-loading or imbalanced diets may require adjusting the rate.
INTEGRA comes in liquid form and is typically available in:
25 L drums – convenient for small to medium plants or trial use.
240 L barrels (drums) – suitable for longer-term supply for larger plants.
IBC (1000 L) – for very large plants or central facilities dosing multiple digesters.
These containers are designed for safe storage and handling of the liquid supplement. Handling: Since INTEGRA is a chemical solution of trace metals, operators should use standard chemical handling precautions: wear gloves and eye protection to avoid contact with skin or splashes, and store the drums in a cool, ventilated area away from direct sunlight. The liquid has a long shelf-life if kept sealed; always stir or gently agitate bulk containers if they’ve been sitting for a long time, to ensure no settling of ingredients. The packaging is often compatible with pump systems – you can attach a dosing pump or drip line directly to an IBC or drum for automated daily dosing.