Biogas Plant Construction and Maintenance Training Course

Duration 10 days 19 modules · 65 contact hours
Level Intermediate Certificate on completion
Who attends Renewable Energy Project Managers, Biogas Plant Operators and others
Fee from USD 2,200 KSh 190,000 for Kenyan organisations
Where 52 cities + online See dates by city
Next start 9 Nov 2026 Course code SD-ETR-001

Before you join: Participants should understand basic process flow diagrams, common mechanical equipment and workplace health and safety requirements.

Dates & prices

Two start dates a month in every city, and live online on weekdays or weekends. Fees are per participant; classroom fees include tuition, materials, lunch and refreshments, and the certificate.

Suggest a date or city

Showing the next six months. Later dates, other cities and private deliveries for your team are available on request.

Course overview

Biogas projects fail when feedstock assumptions, civil works, gas handling, operating routines and safety controls are treated as separate tasks. A plant may produce less gas than forecast, suffer digester instability, leak methane, corrode equipment or create digestate disposal problems. Construction teams, operators and project managers need a shared technical basis for turning organic waste into reliable energy while controlling health, environmental and commercial risks.

This course examines the full plant lifecycle, from feedstock characterisation and process selection through site layout, digester construction, mechanical installation, commissioning and routine maintenance. Participants work with mass-balance calculations, hydraulic retention time, organic loading rate, gas yield estimates, equipment specifications, inspection routines and fault-finding methods. The programme covers wet and dry digestion systems, gas cleaning, combined heat and power, biomethane upgrading, digestate management, electrical interfaces and hazardous-area controls.

Teaching combines short technical briefings with worked design cases, construction-document reviews, operating-data interpretation, group planning tasks and simulated fault diagnosis. Participants progressively develop a plant construction, commissioning and maintenance package based on a realistic municipal, agricultural, food-processing or wastewater feedstock scenario. They leave with reusable planning templates, inspection checklists, operating records and a completed project package that can be adapted for work assignments.

The course suits professionals involved in developing, building, supervising or operating biogas facilities. It is particularly relevant where organisations need to reduce waste-disposal costs, manage agricultural residues, treat wastewater sludge, produce renewable heat or electricity, or prepare projects for biomethane injection.

What you will be able to do

  • Assess feedstock suitability using solids, volatile solids, chemical oxygen demand and methane-yield data
  • Select anaerobic digestion process configurations against feedstock, climate, throughput and energy requirements
  • Prepare preliminary digester sizing calculations using organic loading rate and hydraulic retention time
  • Specify civil, mechanical, electrical and gas-handling requirements for a biogas plant package
  • Apply HAZOP and hazardous-area controls to biogas construction and operating activities
  • Develop commissioning procedures covering inoculation, start-up monitoring, acceptance testing and handover
  • Diagnose common digester, gas-system and equipment faults from operating data and inspections
  • Present an integrated biogas plant construction, commissioning and maintenance plan

Benefits of attending

For you

  • Make defensible feedstock and digester-sizing assumptions during project planning
  • Recognise construction defects before they become costly operating failures
  • Interpret daily process data to identify instability, inhibition and gas losses
  • Lead safer inspections around methane, hydrogen sulphide and confined spaces
  • Build a practical maintenance system for digesters, pumps, mixers and gas equipment

For your organisation

  • Reduce rework through clearer process, civil and mechanical construction requirements
  • Improve gas output by identifying feedstock and process-control problems earlier
  • Lower unplanned downtime with risk-based preventive maintenance routines
  • Control methane emissions, odours and hazardous gas exposure more effectively
  • Produce consistent commissioning and handover records for asset owners

Course modules

19 modules over 10 days

Participants can explain how project decisions affect biogas plant performance, safety and asset life.

  • Biogas project stages from feedstock survey through operational handover
  • Anaerobic digestion outputs: biogas, digestate, heat, electricity and biomethane
  • Performance drivers linking feedstock quality, loading rate and gas production
  • Plant boundaries, battery limits and utility interfaces defined clearly
  • Roles of developer, designer, contractor, operator and independent engineer
  • Key project documents: basis of design, specifications, drawings and manuals

Participants can assess whether available organic materials can support a viable digestion process.

  • Feedstock categories: manure, food waste, crop residues, sludge and organics
  • Sampling plans for representative solids, volatile solids and contaminant data
  • Total solids and volatile solids calculations for feedstock blends
  • Chemical oxygen demand used to estimate biodegradable organic matter
  • Biochemical methane potential testing: purpose, limits and result interpretation
  • Collection, reception and storage arrangements preventing feedstock deterioration

Participants can relate microbial process conditions to stable biogas production.

  • Hydrolysis, acidogenesis, acetogenesis and methanogenesis within anaerobic digestion
  • Mesophilic and thermophilic operation compared for stability and energy demand
  • pH, alkalinity and volatile fatty acids interpreted together
  • Ammonia, sulphide and long-chain fatty acid inhibition mechanisms
  • Trace elements and nutrient balance supporting methanogenic activity
  • Process upset indicators identified from gas, slurry and laboratory data

Participants can select a suitable digestion configuration for defined feedstock and energy objectives.

  • Wet, dry, plug-flow and continuously stirred reactor configurations
  • Batch and continuous feeding matched to feedstock handling characteristics
  • Single-stage versus two-stage digestion process selection criteria
  • Pre-treatment options: screening, maceration, pulping, pasteurisation and dilution
  • Co-digestion blend selection using compatibility and loading constraints
  • Process flow diagrams showing material, gas, heat and condensate streams

Participants can prepare preliminary material, gas and energy balances for a proposed plant.

  • Daily feed mass calculated from collection records and design assumptions
  • Organic loading rate calculated against active digester volume
  • Hydraulic retention time derived from slurry flow and reactor volume
  • Methane yield estimated from volatile solids destruction assumptions
  • Biogas composition converted into lower heating value estimates
  • Parasitic energy demand included for heating, mixing and pumping

Participants can develop preliminary sizing and equipment requirements for digestion and storage systems.

  • Working volume, freeboard and gas space sized for process conditions
  • Digester geometry compared for mixing, heating and construction practicality
  • Mixing systems: mechanical, hydraulic and gas recirculation arrangements
  • Heating loops, heat exchangers and boiler duties estimated
  • Feed pumps selected using solids content, flow and head
  • Digestate storage capacity matched to production and land-application windows

Participants can review site layouts and civil-work requirements against operational and safety needs.

  • Site survey inputs: topography, geotechnical conditions, drainage and access
  • Plant layout separates feedstock reception, process areas and vehicle routes
  • Foundations designed around loads, settlement risk and groundwater conditions
  • Concrete specification addresses sulphate exposure, watertightness and durability
  • Secondary containment manages spills from feedstock and digestate tanks
  • Drainage plans separate clean stormwater from contaminated process runoff

Participants can plan and inspect critical construction activities for digester integrity.

  • Construction sequencing for excavation, foundation, walls, roof and testing
  • Reinforcement placement checked against drawings, cover and joint details
  • Concrete curing controls strength development and crack prevention
  • Tank linings and coatings selected for chemical and abrasion resistance
  • Water-tightness testing identifies defects before mechanical installation
  • Inspection test plans define hold points and acceptance criteria

Participants can supervise installation requirements for pumps, mixers, valves and process piping.

  • Equipment datasheets checked against process duty and installation requirements
  • Pump alignment, baseplates and flexible connections prevent vibration damage
  • Pipe materials selected for slurry abrasion, corrosion and temperature
  • Piping slopes, cleanouts and isolation valves support maintainability
  • Flange management and gasket selection prevent slurry and gas leaks
  • Pressure testing and flushing procedures completed before operational handover

Participants can specify the main systems needed to handle, treat and use biogas safely.

  • Gas holder sizing accounts for production variation and utilisation demand
  • Condensate traps, drains and pipe slopes prevent liquid blockage
  • Hydrogen sulphide removal using biological, iron-based and carbon media systems
  • Siloxane treatment requirements assessed for engine and upgrading protection
  • Combined heat and power interfaces: gas train, engine and heat recovery
  • Biomethane upgrading options: membrane, water scrubber and pressure swing adsorption

Participants can define control, instrumentation and electrical requirements for reliable plant operation.

  • Single-line diagrams identify supplies, protection, generators and critical loads
  • Motor control centres specified for pumps, mixers and blowers
  • Instrumentation selection for flow, pressure, temperature, level and gas composition
  • PLC control narratives define alarms, interlocks and automatic sequences
  • SCADA trends configured for production monitoring and fault investigation
  • IEC 60079 hazardous-area classification informs electrical equipment selection

Participants can identify and control major safety and environmental risks at biogas plants.

  • HAZOP guidewords applied to digestion, gas handling and flare systems
  • Methane explosion hazards controlled through ventilation, zoning and detection
  • Hydrogen sulphide exposure controls include monitoring and respiratory protection
  • Confined-space entry permits address tanks, pits and enclosed process areas
  • Emergency shutdown logic isolates gas, electrical and feed systems
  • Odour, noise and fugitive methane controls incorporated into operating plans

Participants can organise construction oversight, interface management and contractor quality records.

  • Work breakdown structures organise civil, mechanical, electrical and commissioning packages
  • Construction schedules link long-lead equipment, access dates and testing milestones
  • Method statements reviewed for lifting, excavation and confined-space work
  • Request for information logs control drawing discrepancies and design changes
  • Non-conformance reports document defects, corrective actions and closure evidence
  • Progress inspections verify installed work against approved drawings and specifications

Participants can prepare a controlled plan for plant commissioning, biological start-up and handover.

  • Pre-commissioning confirms cleaning, testing, calibration and mechanical completion
  • Commissioning checklists verify equipment rotation, valves, instruments and interlocks
  • Inoculum selection considers activity, transport, volume and contamination risks
  • Start-up feeding ramps organic loading rate under defined monitoring limits
  • Performance tests measure gas yield, methane content and equipment availability
  • Handover dossiers compile drawings, certificates, manuals and training records

Participants can use operating data to maintain stable digestion and energy production.

  • Daily operator logs record feedstock, temperatures, gas quality and alarms
  • Control charts identify deviations in loading, pH and methane concentration
  • Laboratory sampling frequencies set for alkalinity, acids and ammonia
  • Feeding adjustments respond to volatile fatty acid accumulation trends
  • Heat-balance checks identify insulation, boiler and heat-exchanger losses
  • Gas production normalised against feedstock inputs for performance comparison

Participants can create maintenance plans for critical biogas plant assets.

  • Asset registers classify digesters, pumps, mixers, blowers and instruments
  • Criticality ranking combines safety, production loss, cost and repair time
  • Preventive maintenance tasks scheduled by time, condition and operating hours
  • Lubrication routes cover bearings, gearboxes, engines and valve actuators
  • Vibration, temperature and oil analysis support condition-based maintenance
  • Spare-parts lists define minimum stock, lead times and reorder points

Participants can diagnose common plant failures and plan safe corrective actions.

  • Low gas production traced through feedstock, biology and equipment checks
  • Foaming and scum formation addressed through loading and mixing changes
  • Pump blockages investigated using solids, fibre and foreign-material evidence
  • Gas leaks located through pressure testing, detection and joint inspection
  • Corrosion failure modes assessed in gas piping and condensate systems
  • Root cause analysis separates immediate faults from recurring system causes

Participants can plan digestate use and assess operational factors affecting project returns.

  • Digestate characterisation covers nutrients, pathogens, solids and contaminants
  • Storage and land-application plans match nutrient demand and seasonal restrictions
  • Dewatering options compared for transport, storage and nutrient management
  • Mass balances track nitrogen, phosphorus and carbon through treatment
  • Operating costs classified by labour, energy, chemicals, maintenance and disposal
  • Key performance indicators link availability, gas output, costs and emissions

Participants can build, review and present a complete biogas plant construction, commissioning and maintenance package.

  • Feedstock assessment and design basis consolidated into project assumptions
  • Process flow diagram and preliminary sizing checked against operating targets
  • Site layout, civil interfaces and equipment schedule assembled
  • Construction inspection test plan aligned with critical quality risks
  • Commissioning sequence, operating records and maintenance plan integrated
  • HAZOP actions, emergency controls and performance indicators reviewed
  • Peer review tests technical consistency, practicality and risk controls
  • Final project package presented with implementation priorities and decisions

Exercises and examples are adapted to each cohort's sectors and roles.

What you take back to work

  1. Feedstock assessment and methane-yield template
  2. Preliminary digester sizing and energy-balance model
  3. Biogas plant construction inspection test plan
  4. Commissioning and biological start-up checklist
  5. Preventive maintenance schedule and critical-spares register
  6. Integrated biogas plant project package

Who should attend

  • Renewable Energy Project Managers — planning and controlling biogas plant delivery
  • Biogas Plant Operators — stabilising production and maintaining critical equipment
  • Civil and Mechanical Engineers — translating process requirements into buildable plant systems
  • Wastewater Treatment Managers — assessing digestion upgrades for sludge and energy recovery
  • Agricultural Development Specialists — managing manure and crop-residue biogas projects
  • EHS Managers — controlling methane, hydrogen sulphide and confined-space risks

Skills and tools covered

Feedstock assessmentDigester sizingConstruction supervisionBiogas safety managementCommissioning planningMaintenance diagnostics

Tools and standards

HAZOP, ISO 12100, IEC 60079, Root Cause Analysis

How the course runs

Training methodology

The instructor uses short technical briefings followed by calculation work, drawing reviews, operating-data analysis and construction planning tasks. Participants examine realistic cases involving dairy manure, food waste, municipal organic waste and wastewater sludge. Small groups assess process choices, identify installation risks, prepare inspection records and respond to simulated operating faults. Each participant applies the methods to a selected plant scenario throughout the course, receiving instructor feedback before completing the final construction, commissioning and maintenance package.

Requirements and prerequisites

Participants should understand basic process flow diagrams, common mechanical equipment and workplace health and safety requirements. Experience in renewable energy, wastewater treatment, agriculture, waste management, construction supervision or industrial maintenance is helpful. Participants should be comfortable working with simple calculations involving volume, flow, percentages and energy units. Prior biogas operating experience is not required. The course does not require advanced chemical engineering, electrical design certification, welding qualifications or previous use of specialist process-simulation software. Local permitting rules and grid requirements are discussed as project inputs rather than taught as jurisdiction-specific legal advice.

A typical training day

08:30 – 10:30First session
10:30 – 10:45Refreshment break
10:45 – 12:30Second session
12:30 – 13:30Lunch and networking
13:30 – 15:00Third session
15:00 – 15:15Refreshment break
15:15 – 16:30Workshop and daily review

Live online deliveries follow the same structure in East Africa Time, with shorter screen blocks and longer breaks.

What the fee includes

  • Instruction by a practitioner facilitator
  • Full course workbook and materials
  • Exercise files, templates and case studies
  • Refreshments and lunch on classroom deliveries
  • Certificate of completion
  • Post-course application plan

Frequently asked questions

You should have basic familiarity with industrial equipment, construction, waste treatment, agriculture or energy operations. You do not need previous biogas plant experience or advanced chemical engineering knowledge.

Bring a calculator and, where permitted, non-confidential information about a plant or project you support. Drawings, feedstock records, operating logs or maintenance concerns can help you apply the methods to your work.

It is designed for project managers, engineers, operators, maintenance personnel, wastewater professionals, agricultural specialists and EHS staff. It is most useful for people with responsibility for plant delivery, performance or safe operation.

This course focuses on anaerobic digestion assets rather than renewable energy policy or broad technology comparison. It covers feedstock, digester design, construction control, gas systems, commissioning and maintenance in technical detail.

Participants can use the feedstock template, inspection plan, commissioning checklist and maintenance schedule on current assignments. The capstone package provides a structured starting point for a feasibility review, construction package or operating improvement plan.

Each training day runs from 08:30 to 16:30 and provides about 6.5 contact hours. The first week establishes feedstock, process, design and construction methods; the second week focuses on commissioning, operations, maintenance, troubleshooting and the final project presentation.

Questions about this course?

Ask about dates, fees, group bookings or running it for your team. Our training team replies by email.

Ask on WhatsApp info@skillsetdevelopment.com

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