The Dr. Lucà & Partner Ingenieurkontor GmbH company was formed by the merger of Dr. Lucà & Sohn and the Versuchs- und Lehranstalt für Spiritusfabrikation und Fermentationstechnologie [Research and Training Institute for Ethanol Production and Fermentation Technology] (founded in 1857) and has at its disposal more than 150 years of experience in the microbiological and methodological optimisation of fermentation processes.

As with all biotechnological fermentation processes, the product yield (methane production) and its stability are the main criteria for assessing the efficiency of the technology used and of the operation of a biogas plant.

 

Highly specialised archaebacteria, the methane bacteria, are responsible for the last stage of metabolising the substrate to produce methane gas (methanogenesis). The enzyme system of these bacteria requires certain trace elements, also known as micronutrients, in specific co-factors, for example. If the supply of trace elements is insufficient, the production of methane is reduced correspondingly and can even come to a standstill.