Synergy between biogas and concentrating solar thermal - case study of a dairy industry in Cyprus

The present study investigates the potential incorporation of a Linear Fresnel Reflector to directly supply heat for the processes of a local dairy industry, namely, Petrou Bros Dairy Products, located in the outskirts of Larnaca, Cyprus. The company already possesses an infrastructure of biogas generation based on organic waste that arises from its own cheese production. The biogas is used in a dual-fuel boiler which delivers steam for milk pasteurization and cheese cooking. The daily profile includes two intervals when biogas is unavailable, and light fuel oil is used instead. The latter is a fossil fuel with high carbon intensity, hence, the present study elaborates its substitution with solar thermal energy, and therefore enhance the sustainability, as well as the circularity of the process. A transient, year-long OpenModelica model is employed for the simulation of five solar field size scenarios.