CIGR-AgEng conference Jun. 26–29, 2016, Aarhus, Denmark ∙ 1 ∙ Methane production from tomatoes wastes via co-fermentation Salih Sözer a , Osman Yaldız b a Department of farm Machinery and Technologies Engineering, Faculty of Agriculture, Akdeniz University Antalya Turkey b Department of Machinery, Vocational Scholl of Technical Sciences Akdeniz University Antalya Turkey * Corresponding author. Email: yaldiz@akdeniz.edu.tr Abstract Biogas generation via anaerobic fermentation is one of the methods of producing biomass energy in other words renewable energy. This research was carried out to determine the methane production from cattle manure with different tomato greenhouse wastes which are mixtured at different ratios (15, 30, 45, 60, 75, and 90%). The experiments conducted in a through flow laboratory biogas units for 15 days retention times, fermentation process continuing under 37 ±1 o C. The laboratory biogas units, which have total 18 litres, net 15 litres fermentation volume, were mixed automatically for 1 minute every 29 minutes at 30 revolutions per minutes. Organic loading rate was chosen 4.67 g.VS/l.d. Firstly, fresh greenhouse tomato wastes are sun dried. Later this dried materials are granulated by branch shredder and waste disposal machine. The mixtures were obtained adding 15, 30, 45, 60, 75 and 90% tomato greenhouse waste into the cattle manure, and also only cattle manure used to make comparison. According to the results, the highest methane production was obtained from the mixture of 70% cattle manure and 30% tomato greenhouse with 0.143 l/g.VS.d Keywords: Biogas, tomato greenhouse waste, cattle manure. Cofermentation 1. Introduction The population is rising on the Earth day by day. So, world energy consumption and demand is increasing naturally. When developing technology is comforting human life and rising standard of living, energy consumption is increasing this situation as parallel. We know that, Earth fossil energy resources are not unlimited. Besides increase of CO 2 emission born of using fossil energy sources causes global warming and climate change which effects human life negatively. When scientists are researching for using fossil resources more efficiently, on the other hand researching about using and universalizing of renewable, clean, environmental friendly, alternative energy sources. One of this is biogas technology. Biogas is gas mixture and obtained disintegration of organic materials on anaerobic conditions. 1 m 3 biogas has 5000- 5500 kcal energy according to methane rate. Biogas is uncoloured, odourless, weak from air, density rate according to air 83%, octane number 110, a gas mixture. First biogas plants constructed on underground, small, simple system, using animal manure and unheated for rural areas. Today biogas plants developed by the time and they can use many kind of organic materials for industrial scale. Subject of waste management legislated and selling of electricity which is obtained from biogas, is given incentive bonus, increased this development Nowadays, one of the most important problem of the world is environmental pollution. One of the most important factor of environmental pollution is energy usage and production. Especially biogas technology can help reducing of CO2 emission born of using fossil energy resources. Increase of biogas plant is reduced demanding of fossil energy resources. More intensive using of natural resources for energy production, such as vegetable and animal waste, will help to reduce environmental pollution. 2. Materials and Methods The aim of this study determination of biogas production from mixtures of tomato greenhouse wastes and cattle manure. Antalya is centre of greenhouse tomato producing of Türkiye and greenhouse tomato is most important export item for Antalya. According to greenhouse areas of Türkiye at the years of 2009, Antalya has 36% o f greenhouse areas. In addition, 83% of glass greenhouses, 51% of plastic greenhouses, 23% of high tunnel and 4% of low tunnel in Turkey are in Antalya [1]. Knowledge about greenhouse areas are shown table 1. 1 811 310 tons tomatoes are produced in Antalya from 14 390 ha greenhouse areas in 2009. This knowledge shows us, greenhouse production is extensive in Antalya. This extensive greenhouse production is produced abundant of agricultural organic wastes. There is no positive application for recovery of agricultural organic wastes. Only there is a regular garbage storage area for greenhouse wastes in Kumluca.