Project Calculator: Energy & Profitability Potential
Use our free tool to determine the energy potential of your wastewater, substrates, or biowaste in just a few seconds. With only a few details, you’ll receive an initial assessment of energy yields, profitability, and potential ROI.
Input form
Select the option matching your project for using the energy potential of your wastewater or waste materials.
Used to value the electricity generated as avoided grid purchase (100 % self-consumption assumed). Default 0.15 €/kWh, editable.
Enter your wastewater sources (volumes in m³/yr). COD (mg/L) is set automatically (editable).
| Item | Quantity | Rate | Amount |
|---|
Data basis of the project calculator
Typical reference values per industry or substrate and the underlying calculation basis. In the calculator the mean values are set automatically and are editable. The ranges shown are for orientation; the calculator uses the mean value.
COD values of industrial wastewater by industry / source
| Industry / wastewater source | Mean COD (mg/L) | Typical range (mg/L) |
|---|---|---|
| Breweries | 5,000 | 3,000–8,000 |
| Distillery / spirits production | 14,000 | 6,000–17,500 |
| Wine / sparkling wine production | 12,000 | 4,000–16,000 |
| Beverages – soft drinks | 2,500 | 200–3,500 |
| Beverages – juices | 3,500 | 2,500–4,500 |
| Delicatessen / food | 6,000 | 3,500–15,000 |
| Fresh and frozen fish | 5,000 | 1,140–8,890 |
| Fish – canning | 4,250 | 2,300–6,200 |
| Fish – delicatessen | 8,900 | 6,570–11,300 |
| Vegetable processing – general | 7,000 | 1,200–17,100 |
| Potato processing | 4,500 | 389–13,740 |
| Dairy – milk processing | 2,700 | 800–4,500 |
| Fresh whey | 60,000 | 50,000–70,000 |
| Fresh acid whey | 60,000 | 50,000–70,000 |
| Whole cow's milk, fresh | 180,000 | n/a |
| Paper mill | 1,500 | 20–2,300 |
| Paper mill – recycled paper | 3,200 | 540–5,680 |
| Pectin production | 26,050 | 11,200–40,900 |
| Slaughterhouse – mixed livestock | 6,250 | 5,500–7,000 |
| Slaughterhouse – cattle | 7,000 | 6,000–8,000 |
| Slaughterhouse – pigs | 5,500 | 5,000–6,000 |
| Slaughterhouse – poultry | 4,500 | 2,500–5,500 |
| Confectionery – general | 15,000 | 5,000–19,000 |
| Bakery products | 15,000 | 5,000–25,000 |
| Yeast production | 19,000 | 15,500–23,500 |
| Starch production | 2,000 | 1,500–30,000 |
| Cattle slurry after separation | 25,000 | 10,000–35,000 |
| Pig slurry after separation | 25,000 | 10,000–35,000 |
| Municipal wastewater | 800 | 250–1,200 |
| Other operations | 3,000 | n/a |
Note: Typical COD concentrations as orientation values (mg/L). Actual loads vary with operation and process; editable in the calculator. Documented ranges based on public-authority and technical-literature data; values without a published range are marked “n/a”.
CH₄ yields – energy crops (agricultural substrates)
| Substrate | Mean (Nm³ CH₄/t FM) | Typical range (Nm³/t FM) |
|---|---|---|
| Poultry droppings | 36.6 | 25.6–47.6 |
| Grass silage | 66.4 | 50–90 |
| Chicken manure | 32.2 | 22.5–41.9 |
| Maize silage | 131.3 | 90–202 |
| Horse manure | 34.7 | 24.3–45.1 |
| Dairy cattle slurry | 11.1 | 8–14 |
| Dairy cattle slurry with feed residues | 13.9 | 9.7–18.1 |
| Cattle slurry solids after separation | 40.0 | 28.0–52.0 |
| Cattle manure | 49.5 | 34.7–64.4 |
| Sheep manure | 59.4 | 41.6–77.2 |
| Pig slurry | 12.2 | 8–16 |
| Pig slurry solids after separation | 40.8 | 28.6–53.0 |
| Pig manure | 44.6 | 31.2–58.0 |
| Sugar-beet leaf silage | 46.4 | 32.5–60.3 |
| Sugar beet, fresh | 75.5 | 52.9–98.2 |
Note: CH₄ yield in Nm³/t fresh matter (FM). Reference values from practice and literature; actual yields depend on variety, maturity and process management. Ranges for maize/grass/slurry from literature; others as mean ±30 %. Editable in the calculator.
CH₄ yields – waste biomass / residual biomass (industry & municipal)
| Substrate | Mean (Nm³ CH₄/t FM) | Typical range (Nm³/t FM) |
|---|---|---|
| Stale bread | 254.5 | 178.2–330.9 |
| Bakery waste (grain, flour, bread) | 343.5 | 240.5–446.6 |
| Brewer's spent grains, fresh | 72.5 | 50.8–94.3 |
| Brewer's spent grains, ensiled | 80.7 | 56.5–104.9 |
| Biowaste (municipal) | 73.8 | 51.7–95.9 |
| Blood, liquid | 82.6 | 57.8–107.4 |
| Fat – used frying fat | 594.3 | 416.0–772.6 |
| Flotation fat/sludge 7 % DS | 42.8 | 30.0–55.6 |
| Flotation fat/sludge thickened 15 % DS | 103.8 | 72.7–134.9 |
| Vegetable waste | 31.9 | 22.3–41.5 |
| Glycerine | 422.9 | 296.0–549.8 |
| Cocoa shells, dried | 198.0 | 138.6–257.4 |
| Potato pulp, pressed | 71.7 | 50.2–93.2 |
| Potato pulp, fresh | 35.5 | 24.9–46.2 |
| Potato peelings, steamed | 31.0 | 21.7–40.3 |
| Potato peelings, raw | 34.8 | 24.4–45.2 |
| Potato stillage, fresh | 19.7 | 13.8–25.6 |
| Potato grits/chips | 280.9 | 196.6–365.2 |
| Cheese waste | 454.8 | 318.4–591.2 |
| Sewage sludge | 304.8 | 213.4–396.2 |
| Rennet whey, fresh | 18.0 | 12.6–23.4 |
| Stomach content (pig) | 26.4 | 18.5–34.3 |
| Maize stillage, liquid | 26.3 | 18.4–34.2 |
| Malt coffee spent grains, fresh | 57.4 | 40.2–74.6 |
| Molasses (sugar beet) | 255.7 | 179.0–332.4 |
| Whey, fresh | 18.6 | 13.0–24.2 |
| Apple pomace | 57.7 | 40.4–75.0 |
| Rumen content | 33.3 | 23.3–43.3 |
| Rye stillage, liquid | 30.0 | 21.0–39.0 |
| Acid whey, fresh | 21.6 | 15.1–28.1 |
| Slaughter waste (blood, stomach, soft tissue) | 81.3 | 56.9–105.7 |
| Food waste, low-fat, wet | 45.1 | 31.6–58.6 |
| Food waste, high-fat | 78.4 | 54.9–101.9 |
| Food waste, medium-fat | 55.4 | 38.8–72.0 |
| Whole cow's milk, fresh | 72.2 | 50.5–93.9 |
| Wheat stillage, liquid | 21.3 | 14.9–27.7 |
Note: CH₄ yield in normal cubic metres per tonne of fresh matter (Nm³/t FM). Reference values from practice and literature; actual yields depend on quality and process management. Ranges as mean ±30 %. Editable in the calculator.
Calculation basis & formulas
| Parameter | Value |
|---|---|
| Methane yield from degraded COD (wastewater): 0.35 Nm³ CH₄ per kg COD, applied to the degraded share (COD − 800 mg/L) | 0.35 Nm³/kg |
| Non-degraded residual COD (discharge limit, subtracted from the COD load) | 800 mg/L |
| Calorific value of methane | 10 kWh/Nm³ |
| CO₂ factor (displaced electricity/heat mix) | 0.363 kg/kWh |
| Electrical efficiency CHP (up to/above 200 kWel) | 0.39 / 0.40 |
| Thermal gross efficiency CHP (uniform) | 0.55 |
| Annual full-load hours | 8,760 h/yr |
| Wastewater – COD load (degraded) | (COD [mg/L] − 800) ÷ 1,000 × volume [m³/yr] = degraded COD load [kg/yr] |
| Wastewater – methane | degraded COD load [kg/yr] × 0.35 = CH₄ [Nm³/yr] |
| Substrates – methane | quantity [t FM/yr] × yield [Nm³/t FM] = CH₄ [Nm³/yr] |
| Primary energy | CH₄ [Nm³/yr] × 10 = energy [kWh/yr] |
| CO₂ savings | energy [kWh/yr] × 0.363 ÷ 1,000 = CO₂ [t/yr] |
| Thermal input rating | energy [kWh/yr] ÷ 8,760 = power [kW] |
| Alternative treatment cost savings (wastewater) | volume [m³/yr] × rate [€/m³] = savings [€/yr] |
Note: Reference values for an initial orientation. Actual degradation rates, efficiencies and yields are plant- and substrate-specific.
Economic assumptions
| Item | Basis |
|---|---|
| Electricity value | Industrial/market price as avoided grid purchase (default 0.15 €/kWh, editable; 100 % self-consumption assumed) |
| Heat revenue | 0.09 €/kWh |
| CO₂ revenue (emissions trading, wastewater only) | 55 €/t (fixed) |
| Alternative treatment cost savings (wastewater) | 2.00 €/m³ (editable) |
| Waste gate fee (waste biomass only) | 20 €/t per entry (editable) |
| Substrate purchase price (energy crops) | per entry, default by substrate (manure 0.1 €/t) |
Note: No country-specific feed-in tariff is applied. Electricity is valued as avoided grid purchase; the surplus beyond own demand would have to be sold at country-specific prices and is not modelled here. Market conditions vary by country.
Worked examples
Brewery (wastewater)
Input: wastewater treatment · 80,000 m³/yr · COD 5,000 mg/L · electricity price 0.15 €/kWh · alternative treatment savings 2.00 €/m³
| Step | Calculation | Result |
|---|---|---|
| Degraded COD load | (5,000 − 800) ÷ 1,000 × 80,000 | 336,000 kg/yr |
| Methane | 336,000 × 0.35 | 117,600 Nm³/yr |
| Primary energy | 117,600 × 10 | 1,176 MWh/yr |
| CO₂ savings | 1,176,000 × 0.363 ÷ 1,000 | 426.89 t/yr |
| Thermal input rating | 1,176,000 ÷ 8,760 | 134.25 kW |
| Alternative treatment savings | 80,000 × 2.00 | 160,000 €/yr |
Dairy / milk processing (wastewater)
Input: wastewater treatment · 85,000 m³/yr · COD 2,700 mg/L · alternative treatment savings 2.00 €/m³
| Step | Calculation | Result |
|---|---|---|
| Degraded COD load | (2,700 − 800) ÷ 1,000 × 85,000 | 161,500 kg/yr |
| Methane | 161,500 × 0.35 | 56,525 Nm³/yr |
| Primary energy | 56,525 × 10 | 565.25 MWh/yr |
| CO₂ savings | 565,250 × 0.363 ÷ 1,000 | 205.19 t/yr |
| Thermal input rating | 565,250 ÷ 8,760 | 64.53 kW |
| Alternative treatment savings | 85,000 × 2.00 | 170,000 €/yr |
Waste biomass (biogas plant)
Input: biogas plant waste biomass · municipal biowaste 5,000 t FM/yr · CH₄ yield 73.8 Nm³/t · gate fee 20 €/t
| Step | Calculation | Result |
|---|---|---|
| Methane | 5,000 × 73.8 | 369,000 Nm³/yr |
| Primary energy | 369,000 × 10 | 3,690 MWh/yr |
| CO₂ savings | 3,690,000 × 0.363 ÷ 1,000 | 1,339.47 t/yr |
| Thermal input rating | 3,690,000 ÷ 8,760 | 421.23 kW |
| Gate fee | 5,000 × 20 | 100,000 €/yr |
Agriculture / energy crops (biogas plant)
Input: biogas plant energy crops · dairy cattle slurry 6,000 t FM/yr (11.1 Nm³/t) + maize silage 1,500 t FM/yr (131.3 Nm³/t)
| Step | Calculation | Result |
|---|---|---|
| Methane from slurry | 6,000 × 11.1 | 66,600 Nm³/yr |
| Methane from maize silage | 1,500 × 131.3 | 196,950 Nm³/yr |
| Total methane | 66,600 + 196,950 | 263,550 Nm³/yr |
| Primary energy | 263,550 × 10 | 2,635.5 MWh/yr |
| CO₂ savings | 2,635,500 × 0.363 ÷ 1,000 | 956.69 t/yr |
| Thermal input rating | 2,635,500 ÷ 8,760 | 300.86 kW |
Note: These examples show the physical key figures (methane, energy, CO₂, thermal input rating) and the alternative treatment savings or gate fee. Electricity and heat value, investment sum and payback period are calculated live by the project calculator depending on plant size and site. Methane follows the formula (COD − 800) × 0.35 (wastewater) or quantity × CH₄ yield (substrates).
