Smallops · Operational excellence for biogas plants
Sector · Biogas

Operational excellence
for biogas plants

From the lab to plant control.

At Smallops we work so that biogas plants run with more technical judgment, more stability and less reliance on intuition. We connect the lab, BMP and real-world operation to close the gap between what is characterized, what is expected and what finally happens at the plant.

Let's talk about your plant → Estimate potential
The problem

The problem we see in the sector

Many biogas plants live with recurring deviations between three planes that should speak the same language. The gap between them is where most of the performance a correct BMP should translate into at the plant gets lost.

01 · LAB
What gets characterized
BMP tests that are analytically correct, but designed with prepared substrates, controlled conditions and inocula that do not replicate the real dynamics of the plant.
gap
02 · EXPECTATION
What gets expected
Production expectations built on single potential values, with no clear feeding protocol and no defined fallback criteria.
gap
03 · PLANT
What actually happens
Substrate variability, reactive decisions, dependence on key people and a loss of control that shows up as irregular production.
Engineering firms design, labs analyze, suppliers sell product. Few close the loop. At Smallops we work in exactly that layer.
?
Do any of these symptoms sound familiar?
  • Production that swings more than it should with no clear reason.
  • BMP tests pointed to a potential the plant isn't keeping up with.
  • Every time a new substrate comes in, the plant takes weeks to stabilize.
  • Operational decisions that depend on a single person's intuition.
  • Variables that are measured but not really read to make decisions.
  • Additives dosed without a clear monitoring framework or success criteria.
How we work

The method. Not the product.

Our work doesn't begin with supplying a product, but with the analytical assessment of the process. We structure the work sequence in a modular way: each phase produces an independent decision criterion before evaluating the next step.

01
Technical-operational diagnosis
A structured reading of the gap between data, judgment and plant.
Output
Map of problems, hypotheses and priorities
02
Lab and BMP review
Technical quality of the knowledge base the plant operates on.
Output
Judgment on reliability and integration
03
Operational improvement plan
Prioritized actions on diet, control, protocol and monitoring.
Output
Improvement roadmap
04
Pilot and validation
A targeted trial with metrics and success criteria defined beforehand.
Output
Decision to scale or not
05
Ongoing support
Consolidate control and avoid sliding back into reactive operation.
Output
Stable technical-operational support
You don't always enter through phase 1. Sometimes the case calls directly for a BMP review, sometimes for a pilot. But the method is the same: problem → diagnosis → understanding the process → plan → the right tool.
See the full method and deliverables
Pillars

Three pillars of operational excellence

What underpins the way we work.

Technical excellence
A deep understanding of the process, the feedstock, the operation and the real limits. We don't talk about what we don't understand. And when we do understand something, we defend it with judgment.
Process excellence
It's not enough for something to work. It has to be repeatable, integrable and maintainable. An improvement that only lasts three months isn't an improvement: it's a stroke of luck with an expiry date.
Robust control
The priority is a plant that is governable, less sensitive to disturbances and more predictable. Before producing more at a peak, produce better in a sustained way.
Advanced tools

When it adds value, we step in.

When the diagnosis identifies that it makes sense to intervene directly in the process, we integrate advanced tools within the strategy. One of the most powerful is OPS.

Fe⁰
Proprietary technology · Protected

OPS

What they are
Zerovalent iron (Fe⁰) nanoparticles encapsulated in graphitic carbon, developed by Smallops from the valorization of olive-oil by-products. They act as both catalyst and reactant inside the digester.
When it makes sense to apply them
When the technical case is clear and there is a reasonable intervention hypothesis: stabilization against variability, improved sustained performance, H₂S control, degradation of phytotoxins.
How they are integrated
Within the framework: dosing based on volatile solids content, an adjusted monitoring window, success criteria defined beforehand and continuous technical review.
See the full technical mechanism →
Verified results

What happens when the process
is under control.

Real data, in real plants, with supervised monitoring. Two different plant profiles. One single working framework.

Case 1 · Biomethane to grid
Case 2 · WWTP cogeneration
Biomethane · Grid injection 2 digesters · 3,000 m³ 90 ton/day · Mesophilic
+22.18%
Increase in biomethane production (Nm³/month)
+22.18%
Increase in energy generated (MWh/month)
+6.54%
Increase in CH₄ content
−97.77%
Reduction in H₂S (ppm)
−92.01%
Reduction in additive consumption (ton/month)
+7.85%
Better use of volatile solids
Cogeneration · WWTP 500 m³/day of sludge Supervised application
+21.3%
Average increase in methane production yield
5.73 MWh
Additional energy per day
+209,620
Additional Nm³ CH₄ per year
−14.24 t
Ferric chloride/year replaced (partially)
−99%
Reduction in H₂S in the biogas
−30%
Reduction in digestate
✓ What this data does say
Results obtained with variable monitoring, calculated dosing and metrics agreed beforehand. Representative within a supervised framework.
! What this data doesn't say
That any plant will see exactly the same figures. The response depends on the substrate, inoculum and protocol. That's why, before projecting results, we run a diagnosis.
Technical mechanism

How OPS act inside the digester

OPS combine zerovalent iron cores with graphitic carbon. That structure lets them act simultaneously as a catalyst and as a reactant.

GRAPHITIC CARBON Fe⁰ DIET Electron transfer Hydrolysis Catalysis CH₄ ↑ Methanogenesis H₂S ↓ Removal
Direct Interspecies Electron Transfer (DIET)
The graphitic carbon enables direct electron exchange between microorganisms, accelerating anaerobic digestion compared with hydrogen-mediated pathways.
Faster hydrolysis
The Fe⁰ acts as a catalyst in breaking down complex compounds, increasing the effective rate of methane production.
Enhanced methanogenesis
The supply of additional electrons improves the conversion of CO₂ into CH₄ by methanogenic archaea.
H₂S removal
The nanoparticles precipitate sulfur, reducing hydrogen sulfide formation, odors and corrosion on the cogeneration engines.
Resources

Useful material before the conversation.

So you reach a conversation with Smallops with more context. It doesn't replace the diagnosis, but it helps you start asking the right questions.

Potential simulator
A quick estimate of the improvement range that could apply to your plant from basic data. An approximation, not a commitment.
Go to the simulator →
Operational self-diagnosis
7 questions about your plant to gauge whether there is room to improve in stability, control and the lab-operation connection. 3 minutes, no email.
Start diagnosis →
Blog reads
Articles on the lab-to-plant gap, BMP, process control and sector case studies.
Go to the blog →
Frequently asked questions

What people usually ask us.

1 About the method
+
How does Smallops work with a plant? →
We always start by understanding. Before proposing anything we need a clear reading of how the plant operates, where the deviations are and which decisions are made with data versus on intuition.
Do you need to have a serious problem? →
No. We work both with plants that have clear incidents and with plants that run reasonably well but suspect there is room to improve in stability or in the lab-to-operation connection.
Does Smallops replace the lab or the engineering firm? →
No. We work in the layer that neither usually covers: the connection between data, process judgment and the real operational decision. We complement, we don't replace.
2 About lab and BMP
+
What common BMP problems do you detect? →
Tests with substrates that don't reflect real variability, inocula that don't replicate the plant's biology, and interpreting results as a promise instead of an indicative range.
How is the lab connected to real-world operation? →
By translating results into applicable criteria: feeding ramps, alert thresholds, fallback protocols and monitoring that closes the loop between prediction and reality.
3 About operation and control
+
Which variables are critical for detecting loss of control? →
VFA/alkalinity, the CH₄/CO₂ ratio, the consistency between organic load and expected production, and pH stability. The key is reading them in context, not measuring in isolation.
What changes after a Smallops engagement? →
You move from operating by reaction to operating by judgment. Dependence on specific people drops, and variability is managed with protocol instead of endured.
4 About OPS and application
+
When does it make sense to apply OPS? →
When the diagnosis identifies that intervening can add stability or sustained improvement, and there is a monitoring framework in place. Not as a first step nor as a patch.
Does it require modifications to the plant? →
No. They are added directly to the digester along with the usual feed, without modifying the design, instrumentation or process.
How soon is the effect seen? →
First signals between 7 and 21 days. Full evaluation window: 60 to 90 days, depending on substrate and starting conditions.
Do OPS replace other additives? →
In some cases, partially. In the documented case, ferric chloride consumption was reduced by more than 14 t/year. But it isn't always direct or complete.
Let's connect

Let's talk about how
to transform your operation.

Before proposing any intervention we need to understand how your plant operates today, what deviations it lives with and which decisions are costing you the most. If there's a fit, we'll propose a useful next step. If not, we leave the conversation with shared judgment.

Email
info@smallops.eu
Phone
+34 676 81 00 38
Plant and laboratory
Valdetorres, Badajoz
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