Dry Anaerobic Digestion Technology is the Buzz Word Now in the US

So called "Dry Anaerobic Digestion" is the latest buzzword this week for MSW AD plants in the US. While I was researching this post I found at least 6 recent articles, each giving a different angle on the New Monterey, California Anaerobic Digestion Plant. I have included some of those dry anaerobic digestion technology links below for your reference.

California's first dry anaerocbic digestion facility to open next month

Waste & Recycling News

"The Monterey (Calif.) Regional Waste Management District's new waste conversion facility is set to go online in mid-February, the first in the state -- and second in the nation -- to use dry anaerobic digestion technology, The Monterey County Herald ..."
http://www.wasterecyclingnews.com/article/20130125/NEWS02/130129941/californias-first-dry-anaerobic-digestion-facility-to-open-next-month

Here is another article on this subject:

Anaerobic Digestion Operation Opens in California | Food Waste ...

"The Monterey (California) Regional Waste Management District and San Jose- based Zero Waste Energy LLC have opened an anaerobic digestion operation in ...waste360.com/.../anaerobic-digestion-operation-opens-californ..."
http://waste360.com/food-waste/anaerobic-digestion-operation-opens-california

In this article we learn about the company "Zero Waste Energy" which has been involved in this technological first for California:

MRWMD, Zero Waste Energy Introduce Dry Anaerobic Digester for Processing ...

AZoCleantech

"The Monterey Regional Waste Management District (MRWMD) and Zero Waste Energy, LLC (ZWE) held an open house today introducing the country's first dry anaerobic digester (AD) utilizing the SMARTFERM technology for use in processing organic waste ..."
http://www.azocleantech.com/news.aspx%3FnewsID%3D17899

And, if you live in the US, you can even apply for the Plant Manager job!

Plant Manager - Anaerobic Digestion (22551134) - reed.co.uk

(author unknown)

"View all details on this Plant Manager - Anaerobic Digestion vacancy on reed.co. uk, the UK's #1 job site. You can also search for all similar roles now.www.reed.co.uk/jobs/plant-manager-anaerobic.../22551134"
http://www.reed.co.uk/jobs/plant-manager-anaerobic-digestion/22551134

What is dry anaerobic digestion technology?

The "dry anaerobic digestion" process has been in use in Germany for at least 10 years, where the Linde company were one of the first to adopt this process. unfortunately, we have found that this product is no longer on the market in recent years though.
In Europe dry anaerobic digestion processes are far from being "dry", however, they are less "wet" than their counterpart "wet anaerobic digestion processes. The lowest moisture content dry AD processes can look very like an in-vessel composting plant with heaps of organic material being placed in the digestor tunnels by wheeled plant and conveyors on a batch process basis. At the other end of the water-content spectrum, these processes may be simply higher solids biogas digester systems than the standard digester.
An example of a dry anaerobic digestion system is the Dranco system described in the link above.

The advantages of dry anaerobic digestion can be:

• Reduced reactor volume
• Reduced digestate (this can be an advantage for municipal waste when digestate liquids may be of low cash value due to the fact that the digestate liquids may be unsuitable for crop fertilizer use.

If there are other advantages than these that you know of please add by commenting.