In the field of energy, researchers are engaged in the study of the production and use of renewable energy. At a time when the world's stocks of fossil resources are rapidly diminishing, BUFPI aims to facilitate both Latvia's and the world's shift towards the use of alternative energy sources. BUFPI believes that the potential for alternative energy production is currently being underutilised and that it has major prospects for development both globally and in Latvia.
The energy team has five full-time employees. The Head of the BUFPI Energy Research Section is Jānis Jaško, a biologist and doctoral student of agricultural engineering science at the Latvian University of Agriculture (LLU). Within the energy sector, has BUFPI collaborated with the LLU Institute of Agricultural Energy, the University of Latvia’s (LU) Institute of Solid State Physics and other strategic partners.
Currently, the latest research projects are linked to investigations into the possibilities of obtaining renewable energy resources within Latvia’s territorial waters and its adjoining territories, sustainable technologies for obtaining hydrogen from renewable resources, optimisation of biogas production, etc.
Biogas production optimisation
As electricity becomes more expensive and Latvia’s dependence on the energy resources of neighbouring countries increases, serious thought must be given to new alternative forms of electricity production. Therefore, increasing numbers of farmers and entrepreneurs have turned to biogas production, which is a growth sector and could in future reduce Latvia's dependence on energy from other countries. The project’s goal is to improve biogas production technologies, adapting them to Latvian conditions to obtain the best possible results. New solutions will make it possible to make the work of biogas production stations more efficient and to model processes prior to the installation of biogas stations.
Hydrogen production
Biohydrogen is an energy source with huge potential, which could very soon become a serious substitute for fossil energy resources. Even though global production and use of biohydrogen has long been talked about by scientists and industry representatives, until now the hydrogen economy has not yet become part of our daily lives. This is a major challenge for BUFPI scientists, who are ready to make an important contribution to the development of biohydrogen production technologies.
Currently, BUFPI is actively working on two different biohydrogen production methods - technologies for biohydrogen production during the anaerobic fermentation process and for hydrogen production in a chemical reactor.
Biohydrogen production by anaerobic fermentation
At present, the scientific research part of the microbiological production of biohydrogen is being conceived, using similar principles to those used for biogas production and optimisation of the process.
The project is being implemented in collaboration with physicists whose task it is to develop technologies for the storage and use of the hydrogen produced.
Development of a chemical reactor for production of hydrogen and calcium carbonate.
Biohydrogen will be produced using chemical reactions. This method will make it possible to transform biomass from various sources into hydrogen.
The chemical processes will result in the production of hydrogen and calcium carbonate which, in turn, can be used for deacidification of agricultural soil.
Research on wind potential
Until now, the potential of Latvia’s territorial waters for energy production has been neither appreciated, nor leveraged. The goal of this direction is to study the potential of renewable energy sources in the exclusive economic zone and continental shelf on the west coast of Latvia. BUFPI plans to conduct studies of climatic conditions (wind speed, waves, currents, etc.), as well as a geotechnical study of the seabed. The results of this research will be used to develop an interactive map in which all obtained data will be collated and which will offer investors a more comprehensive picture of the use of this potential and potential investments in Latvia's energy sector. Within the framework of this project, BUFPI’s partner is the Baltic Wind Park company, which has received a licence for the development of wind power stations.
