Biochemical Methane Potential (BMP) is a biological test to evaluate the economic value of
feedstock through its potential for methane/biogas generation with anaerobic
digestion. It can also indicate the presence of inhibitory substances in the feed.
The equivalent test, residual biogas potential (RBP), is now a certified method to
assess the quality of digestate after AD in the UK.
Every test builds a cumulative yield curve for each reactor. Comparing them shows which feedstock is worth the most, while a curve that flattens earlier than expected is often the first sign of an inhibitory substance. The chart below is a real BMP Nautilus run rather than an illustration — four food wastes, each in triplicate, over fifteen days.
Croissant
White sugar
Butter
Sludge control
Real data from a BMP Nautilus run — four feedstocks, each in triplicate.
Why BMP Nautilus?
1 L reactorsLarge volumes reduce the influence of small sampling variations.
Covered water bathLess evaporation during longer tests.
One 20 rpm driveConsistent mixing across all 15 positions.
Results at standard conditionsTemperature and pressure readings convert gas volumes automatically.
Ready to runEasy to operate, with the data logger and software included.
Applications
Determine biomethane yield of substrates
Measure what a feedstock is worth before it goes anywhere near the digester.
Screen inhibitors and toxic materials
Catch substances that suppress digestion in a 1 L reactor, not a full-scale plant.
Evaluate residual biogas potential (RBP) of digestate
Quantify the gas left in digestate — the certified UK measure of AD quality.
Assess the effects of pre-treatment on feedstocks
Run treated and untreated material side by side to see what the extra step buys.
Discover the set
20 RPM Motorpowers the mixing inside all the reactors
Patented Gearboxlets one motor mix all 15 reactors consistently
Water Bath Lidstops water evaporating from the bath
Water Bathholds temperature from ambient up to 85°C
15-cell Gas Flow Metermeasures gas in ~10 ml increments
15x 1L HDPE Reactorlarge volume limits the impact of small deviations
Client Stories
“We actually considered building a system ourselves, but we are very happy that we chose to buy from Anaero instead. There is much more work involved in constructing your own system than initially seems.”
“We have found that the difference between varieties — which may yield and look identical in the field — can result in a 60–70 m³ difference in gas potential at feed-in time.”
