Impact of long-term power interruptions on microbial electromethanogenesis

[EN] The integration of increased amounts of renewable energy capacity into the energy system will require an intensification of energy storage solutions such as power-to-gas (P2G). Among the later, microbial electromethanogenesis (MEM) emerges as a potential solution capable of storing excess energ...

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Detalles Bibliográficos
Autores: Pelaz Guerra, Guillermo, Mateos González, Raúl, Escapa González, Adrián
Tipo de recurso: artículo
Estado:Versión publicada
Fecha de publicación:2025
País:España
Institución:Universidad de León
Repositorio:BULERIA. Repositorio Institucional de la Universidad de León
OAI Identifier:oai:buleria.unileon.es:10612/26270
Acceso en línea:https://hdl.handle.net/10612/26270
Access Level:acceso abierto
Palabra clave:Ingenierías
Electromethanogenesis
Power-to-gas
Power interruption
Methane
Biocathode
3303 Ingeniería y Tecnología Químicas
Descripción
Sumario:[EN] The integration of increased amounts of renewable energy capacity into the energy system will require an intensification of energy storage solutions such as power-to-gas (P2G). Among the later, microbial electromethanogenesis (MEM) emerges as a potential solution capable of storing excess energy in the form of methane or hydrogen. However, MEM must be capable of adapting to the intermittent nature of renewable power, as well as to extended periods of downtime due to maintenance interruptions. While MEM have demonstrated a certain degree of resilience to outages of up to four days, it remains unclear whether it can withstand longer disconnection periods. To provide an answer to this question, this study aims at investigating the impact of prolonged power cuts (up to one month) on MEM systems. The findings demonstrated that MEM can recover after extended periods without reducing power. However, there was a discernible decline in current density (between 12 % and 14 %) and methane production (between 25 % and 41 %). The application of a second prolonged disconnection (lasting another month) demonstrated the adaptability of the microbial communities. The analysis of the microbial communities revealed that methanogenic archaea (Methanobacterium) were more affected than electroactive bacteria.