Global Benefits of Biogas Technology - World Biogas Association's 1st Year

 WBA President David Newman

The new UK based voice which promotes the global benefits of Biogas Technology, The World Biogas Association (WBA), is celebrating its first birthday at the COP23 climate change conference later this week.

The press release below explains the very active first year of this new organisation. It's efforts are very much to be applauded, and if possible are even more important than when the organisation was formed a year ago.

In our humble opinion writing for this blog, the raised importance of the work of the WBA is due to at least two factors:

• the faltering support for the 2015 Paris Accord climate change from the Trump administration, plus
• the recent news of alarming rises in carbon dioxide levels in the global atmosphere recently.

We hope that you will scroll on down this age and read more, because it has never been more urgent to explain to the world the potential benefits of anaerobic digestion and biogas technology.

Global biogas association celebrates first year of achievements

PRESS RELEASE -  6 November 2017:

WBA President David Newman will be speaking at the global climate-change summit in Bonn on Thursday:

The World Biogas Association (WBA) is today celebrating its first year of achievements at the UN COP23 Climate Change Conference in Bonn as global leaders come together to review progress on reducing greenhouse gas emissions.

Watch the video below for an on-screen presentation of the work of the first year of the world Biogas Association:

The WBA was founded a year ago at COP22 in Marrakech with the aim of demonstrating the huge contribution that biogas can make to reducing emissions and supporting policymakers to create an environment that will encourage the development of biogas globally. Biogas, produced through reprocessing organic wastes and purpose-grown energy crops in anaerobic digestion plants, can be used to produce renewable heat and power, clean transport fuel, and nutrient-rich biofertiliser, and has the potential to reduce global greenhouse gas emissions by up to 20%.

In its first year, the WBA has published: a report on the contribution of biogas to meeting the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs); three factsheets on how biogas can improve urban air quality, mitigate climate change, and help meet the UN SDGs; and five reports on biogas markets in the US, Netherlands, Italy, Australia, and Poland respectively. The WBA is now working closely with the C40 Cities Climate Leadership Group on a report into increasing the uptake of separate food waste collections around the world and helping cities understand how biogas technologies can help them resolve issues around food waste.

WBA President David Newman is speaking at an event at COP23 this Thursday (9th November) titled ‘Solving the nexus between waste, energy and agriculture – biogas technologies as a global solution’, which will examine how biogas can help to meet international climate goals and the UN SDGs.

Celebrating WBA’s achievements from its first year, Mr Newman said:

“It’s incredible to think that a whole year has already passed since we established the WBA at COP22 in Marrakech to be the voice for biogas around the world. We already have over 50 members from five different continents, and we’re growing all the time as those working in biogas across the planet look to the WBA to represent them at the highest political levels.

“I’m delighted to be speaking here at COP23 to share the many benefits of biogas with politicians, policymakers, industry, and academics from all over the world. This crucial summit is the perfect precursor to our report with C40 on how cities can use biogas to resolve issues around food waste collection and treatment.

“Biogas has enormous potential to provide solutions for waste management, renewable energy, sustainable farming, and food security in every country of the world, and the WBA is looking forward to celebrating even more achievements in our second year as we spread this message to policymakers and politicians far and wide.”

Photo of WBA President David Newman attached for use.

WBA website: www.worldbiogasassociation.org

Or, for WBA publications click here.

For further information about the World Biogas Association Contact

Chris Noyce, PR & Parliamentary Affairs Executive, World Biogas Association

Tel: 020 3176 5441

E-mail: cnoyce@worldbiogasassociation.org

What is a Biogas Plant? for Home Community and Industry

Biogas is especially exciting because no matter how much biogas we use, we can always grow more, and make more of it, forever.

That's why biogas is amazing, and now we will explain what happens inside a biogas plant.

1 - Organic material arrives at the biogas plant.

The organic material delivered may include animal manure, food waste, agricultural residues, or wastewater solids (sludge).

The organic materials are the "input", or "feed" for the biogas plant.

Each individual biogas plant is tailor made for the feed materials which it will accept.

The accepted materials may be from just one source, or a combination of several types of organic food source.

2 - Organic material is broken down in a "digester"

Digesters can be wet (where the biomass is mixed in water and pumped and mixed as a slurry), or "dry" (where biomass is made wet with added water) but is handled as a solid.

The digester is a big tank, or multiple tanks, for fully mixed wet digestion.

Or, the digester may be a long tube, for plug-flow anaerobic digestion which is also a "wet" A.D. process.

And, sometimes (for a dry digester which operates on biomass solids), the digester reactor vessel is configured like a tunnel.

A tunnel type dry digester may be rounded, with large paddles to move the feedstock through the digester.

Or, a dry digester may have a flat floor for batch-by-batch production, and be wide and tall enough for feedstock loading and unloading vehicles to work in.

The digester is always airtight, and is usually equipped with mixing and heating equipment.

Naturally occurring microorganisms grow in the zero-oxygen environment.

They use the organic matter as their food, and break down (digest) the organic matter.

At wet process A.D. plants the digester is continuously fed with organic materials (the feedstock) and biogas, and the remaining liquid and solids, are also simultaneously discharged.

At dry process A.D. plants some are continuously fed and flow constantly, and some are batch flow type plants with doors that are closed after each filling and are left for a period of time to digest, before being emptied completely.

3 - Raw biogas is produced, and flows out of the digester.

The biogas is mostly methane, but, it also contains carbon dioxide, water vapour, and raw biogas contains small amounts of what are known as, "trace" compounds which are potential pollutants.

Like biogas, "Natural gas" which is made from fossil fuels is also methane, the difference is that natural gas contains none of the impurities we just mentioned, two slides ago.

The most damaging impurities, if not removed from the biogas, are usually hydrogen sulphide, and siloxanes (chemicals which can build-up and obstruct the insides of generators, causing costly wear on components).

Purified biogas can replace "natural gas", but first it must be processed to as far as possible, remove everything but the methane.

The degree of processing which takes place in the anaerobic digestion plant, varies according to the use intended for the upgraded biogas.

Upgraded biogas of the highest quality is called "biomethane" or "renewable natural gas" R.N.G.

4 - After digestion in the Anaerobic Digestion Plant (Biogas Facility), which can take anything from 5 days to 60 days, the biogas is used in one of many ways.

Biogas may be used to: Produce heat, electricity, vehicle fuel.

Or, it may be used for injection in the gas grid (natural gas pipelines), after it has been upgraded to become very valuable "biomethane".

However, the biogas accounts for only a small proportion of the incoming material, and what is left, after digestion is called digestate.

5 - Co-products Made from Digestate in AD Plants

The digester residue which is known as "digestate" contains both solid fibres, and a liquid.

The solid portion and the liquid portion can be used to provide marketable products, such as liquid (or crystallised) fertiliser, compost, soil amendments, or animal bedding and fibre products for the building trade.

These are called "co-products", and like the biogas or biomethane, can be also sold for a profit.

We hope that you now have a clear understanding of what a biogas plant is.

More Information about What is a Biogas Plant for Home Community and Industry:

Biogas - Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Biogas

Biogas typically refers to a mixture of different gases produced by the breakdown of organic ... A biogas plant is the name often given to an anaerobic digester that treats farm .... of electricity, enough to power millions of homes across the United States. .... In 2011 energy crops for biogas production consumed an area of circa ...

[DOC]Characteristics of Danish Community Biogas Plants

inforse.org/europe/word_docs/s_pm_bio.doc

by P Maegaard - ‎Cited by 2 - ‎Related articles

20 community biogas plants, each 540-7500 m3, delivering electricity to the grid ... coming from the food industry, (slaughter houses, dairies, fish processing), ...

Build a Biogas Plant - Community Biogas

www.build-a-biogas-plant.com › Home

The viability of a particular community biogas plant design depends on the particular environment in which it operates. ... By biogasplant Home ...

Build a Biogas Plant - Home

www.build-a-biogas-plant.com/

Information and plans to build biogas plant for home, community, farms and reduce methane emissions.

Various Advantages and Disadvantages of Biogas - Conserve Energy ...

https://www.conserve-energy-future.com/advantages-and-disadvantages-of-biogas.php

The 1980s saw the replacement of the rectangular biogas plant design by the dome ... The raw materials used in the production of biogas are renewable.

Are We Ignoring the Small but Brilliant Innovations That Could Bridge ...

https://www.popsci.com/.../kenya

Biogas - Wikipedia

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Biogas

Biogas typically refers to a mixture of different gases produced by the breakdown of organic ... A biogas plant is a name often given to an anaerobic digester that treats .... of electricity, enough to power millions of homes across the United States. .... such as waste from the food industry are also used for biogas generation.
‎Production · ‎Benefits of manure ... · ‎Applications · ‎Global developments

Biomass - Wikipedia

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Biomass

Biomass is an industry term for getting energy by burning wood, and other organic matter. ... Industrial biomass can be grown from numerous types of plants, including .... and refining operations as well as to supply electricity for nearly 60,000 homes. ..... Analog forestry · Bamboo forestry · Close to nature forestry · Community ...

Various Advantages and Disadvantages of Biogas - Conserve Energy ...

https://www.conserve-energy-future.com/advantages-and-disadvantages-of-biogas.php

The 1980s saw the replacement of the rectangular biogas plant design by ... The biogas program was exported to Nepal, which is today known as Biogas Sector Partnership (BSP). ... By definition, biogas is a kind of biofuel generated through biological ... Biogas plants can be developed right at home using locally sourced ...

Lusakert Biogas Plant - Wikipedia

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lusakert_Biogas_Plant

Lusakert Biogas Plant (LBP) is a biogas plant in Nor Geghi, about 26

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What is a Biogas Plant?

The question of "What is a Biogas Plant?" is becoming a popular question as biogas plants, also known as anaerobic digestion plants, become more common, and people hear about them talked about through various routes.

We set about answering the question by making a video in which we go further to describe what goes in inside a biogas facility, stage by stage.

The video which follows is the result of that exercise in providing information, and the video also explains upgrading biogas to become biomethane, because this is becoming such a common feature of many UK biogas plants:

In case for any reason you are unable to watch the video, we have copied the text from the video below:

What is a Biogas Plant? (Transcript)

Biogas is mostly methane gas, and when methane burns it produces a clean heat source, without harmful by-products. It is also a "renewable" energy, and because it is renewable it is also said to be "green" and eco-friendly.

The best way to understand what a biogas plant is, is to know what happens inside a biogas plant, which we will now explain.

1 - Organic material arrives at the biogas plant.

These are also known as anaerobic digestion facilities. The organic material delivered may include animal manure, food waste, agricultural residues, or wastewater solids (sludge).

The organic materials are the "input", or "feed" for the biogas plant. Each individual biogas plant is tailor-made for the feed materials which it will accept. The accepted materials may be from just one source or a combination of several types of organic food source.

2 - Organic material is broken down in a "digester".

The digester is a big tank or multiple tanks for wet digestion, (where the biomass is mixed in water).

Or, the digester may be a long tube, for plug-flow digestion.

And, sometimes (for a dry digester which operates on biomass solids), the digester reactor vessel is configured like a tunnel.

A tunnel type dry digester may be rounded, with large paddles to move the feedstock through the digester.

Or, the digester may have a flat floor for batch-by-batch production, and be large enough for feedstock loading and unloading vehicles to work in.

The digester is always airtight, and is usually equipped with mixing and heating equipment.

Naturally occurring microorganisms grow in the zero-oxygen environment.

They use the organic matter as their food, and break down (digest) the organic matter.

At most AD plants the digester is continuously fed with organic materials (the feedstock) and biogas, and the remaining liquid and solids, are also simultaneously discharged.

3 - Raw biogas is produced.

The biogas flows out of the digester continually and is made of mostly methane. It also contains carbon dioxide, water vapour, and small amounts of what are known as, "trace" compounds.

"Natural gas" which is made from fossil fuels is methane like biogas, the difference is that natural gas contains none of the impurities we just mentioned, two slides ago.

The most damaging impurities, if not removed from the biogas, are usually hydrogen sulphide, and siloxanes.

Biogas can replace "natural gas", but first it must be processed to as far as possible, remove everything but the methane.

The degree of processing which takes place in the anaerobic digestion plant varies according to the use intended for the upgraded biogas.

Upgraded biogas of the highest quality is called "biomethane" or "renewable natural gas".

4 - After digestion in the Anaerobic Digestion Plant (Biogas Facility), which can take anything from 5 days to 60 days, the biogas is used in one of many ways.

Biogas may be used to: Produce heat, electricity, vehicle fuel. Or, it may be used for injection in the gas grid (natural gas pipelines), after it has been upgraded to become "biomethane".

5 - However, the biogas accounts for only a small proportion of what is left, after digestion. 

The digester residue is known as "digestate" comprising solid fibres and a liquid.

The solids and liquids can be used to provide marketable products, such as fertiliser, compost, soil amendments or animal bedding.

These are called "co-products", and can be sold for a profit.

We hope that you now have a clear understanding of what a biogas plant does.

If you would like to read more, we suggest the following sources.

For the original American Biogas Council article upon which this was based, go to https://anaerobic-digestion.com/abiogasc

For our detailed article, visit our A.D. website at: https://anaerobic-digestion.com/anaerobic-digestion-basics

Videos like this one, are available to order. Get a quote from us now... via: https://anaerobic-digestion.com/advertising

How to Feed a Digester Weltec MultiMix - Better Biogas Yield and Stability

How to Feed a Digester for High Biogas Output - Weltec MULTIMix 

Visit: http://blog.anaerobic-digestion.com/weltec-biopower-extends-ad-plant-france/

How to Feed a Digester for High Biogas Output The Weltec MULTIMix Way.

Avoid problems with inconsistent throughout quality, and avoid downtime when feeding a digester with, grass silage, whole-plant silage, and manure for biogas production.

With the MULTIMix digester feed delivery system, WELTEC BIOPOWER offers a unique solution which removes foreign materials, BEFORE being conveyed to the feed pump.

The system also shreds the substrate to size and consistency which is optimised, for rapid uptake by the biogas bacteria.

The MULTIMix system thus ensures the technical and economic stability of biogas plants, by preventing failures, and thus ensuring an uninterrupted process of digestion of the substrates used.

Advantages of Installing a Weltec MULTIMix:

1, Processes fibrous, sticky and soft substrates (up to a high dry weight percentage).

2, Provides bacteria-oriented substrate shredding for immediate biogas production.

3, Ensures an optimum loading of the digester with a homogeneous, macerated bio-suspension.

4, Minimises the risk of floating and sediment layers.

5, Improves overall anaerobic digestion plant energy efficiency, through the reduction of agitation energy needed, and significantly increases the pump feed pump's typical service life.

which substantially reduces wear and tear.

Two quick MULTIMix tips, for biogas plant operators, follow:

Tip 1, Several digesters can be fed with only one MULTIMix.

Tip 2, A MULTIMix unit can easily be retrofitted to your biogas plant.

Video based on the Weltec MULTIMix web page at www.weltec-biopower.com

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CLICK HERE: http://blog.anaerobic-digestion.com/weltec-biopower-extends-ad-plant-france/

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More Information about Feed Digester:

Feedstocks | Anaerobic Digestion

www.biogas-info.co.uk/about/feedstocks/

The material that is used in anaerobic digestion is called feedstock. What goes into a digester determines what comes out, so careful choice of feedstocks is ...

Digester Feed Products - Vogelsang USA

www.vogelsangusa.com/products/digester-feed-products/?L=1

Biogas technology needs to be secure and efficient at all times to enable cost-effective plant operation. Digester feeding plays a key role here. Wet feeding is the ...

[PDF]“Design & Analysis of an Anaerobic Digester to Feed a Biogas Fuelled ...

research.ncl.ac.uk/pro-tem/components/pdfs/material.../Butcher_Design&analysis.pdf

19 Aug 2010 - “Design & Analysis of an Anaerobic Digester to Feed a. Biogas Fuelled Boiler for a Medium Sized. Industrial Enterprise”. Matthew Butcher.

Biogas - Digester Feed Material

www.biogassa.co.za/index.php/biogassa-blog/112-digester-feed

Anaerobic digestion - Wikipedia

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anaerobic_digestion

Anaerobic digestion is a collection of processes by which microorganisms break down ..... The residence time in a digester varies with the amount and type of feed material, and with the configuration of the digestion system. In a typical two-stage ...

Silage - Wikipedia

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Silage

Silage is fermented, high-moisture stored fodder which can be fed to cattle, sheep and other such ruminants (cud-chewing animals) or used as a biofuel feedstock for anaerobic digesters. .... The advantages of silage as animal feed are several: During fermentation, the silage bacteria act on the cellulose and carbohydrates in ...

Digestate - Wikipedia

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Digestate

Digestate is the material remaining after the anaerobic digestion of a biodegradable feedstock. Anaerobic digestion produces two main products: digestate and ...

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Remarkable Uses for Sewage Sludge Including Producing Biogas

What could possibly be the use for all that mucky filthy smelly sewage sludge? 

NEVERTHELESS, We found some remarkable uses for Sewage Sludge, Including producing biogas. 

Sewage sludge, which is the by-product of the treatment of our foul sewage in wastewater treatment works on first sight would seem to be a useless material, but is it? We set out to find out, and the result is this article. Scroll down to see that.

1. Hygienize It and Spread It on Land: 

If spread on land it will raise soil-available phosphorous says Wikipedia (see below). That's a good outcome for the growth of crops, but raising soil salinity is not so good, so we guess we had better keep looking. 

Use of sewage sludge has shown an increase in the level of soil-available phosphorus and soil salinity, also heavy metals build-up. The findings of a 20-year field study of air, land, confirmed this ... via Sewage sludge - Wikipedia

2. Use it as Alternative Fuel source in the Cement Industry: 

An attractive disposal method for sewage sludge is to use it as an alternative fuel source in the cement industry. The resultant ash is incorporated in the cement matrix. via Use of Sewage Sludge in Cement Industry - BioEnergy Consult

4. Make Coal: 

Carbonscape out of New Zealand microwaves and compresses organic matter – wood chips, corn stalks and even sewage – into eco-coal. It burns like regular coal, but the carbon doesn't come deep from the ground. Renewable Fuel Technology, meanwhile, has devised a modified version of the Fischer-Tropsch process to convert organic matter into coal. Organic matter gets converted to syngas first.

5. Produce Biogas and Purify that Into Pipeline-Grade Methane: 

BioEnergy Solutions builds, maintains and operates the anaerobic manure digesters that convert manure into methane. The process isn't entirely green – carbon dioxide in the gas from the manure has to be burned off before the methane can be sent down a pipeline – but it does eliminate many of the hazards associated with manure. Revenue can also be generated through carbon credits and selling the solids as cow beds or fodder for, maybe someday, organic flooring or building materials. via 11 Great Things to Do With Sewage | Greentech Media

6. Make a Sludge Compost Using USDA's Method:  

When sewage sludge and woodchips are mixed and composted, as by the Beltsville aerated pile method (Willson et al., 1980),!/ a stabilized product results from the action of aerobic thermophilic microorganisms, which utilize a part of the organic material for their growth and activity. During this decomposition, the composting biomass heats to temperatures in the pasteurization range of 55*^ to 70^C, with the resulting destruction of enteric pathogenic microorganisms. The end result is humus like material useful as a soil conditioner and a source of plant nutrients. It is essentially free of human enteric pathogens and offensive odors. via Sludge Compost as - USDA 

7. Extract Gold from Sewage Sludge! 

In some sites, "concentrations of gold in sewage sludge are sufficiently high for recovery to be ... The USGS has explored ways to remove potentially dangerous metals from treated sewage that is used as fertilizer and also pursued the possibility of ... via There's Gold In Them Thar Sewage Pipes, Swiss Researchers Say

8. Use Sewage Treatment Plants Sludge to Ensure Greenery at 4 Parks: 

Secondary treated sewage will be further treated using chlorine. The settled sludge is sent for recirculation to the equalisation tank. The dry sludge coming out of the system can be used as manure. According to officials, this will be rolled out to other ... via Sewage treatment plants to ensure greenery at 4 parks

9. Extract energy from Sewage Sludge:

A water company says new techniques can help it extract 90% of calorific value from sewage sludge.

Thames Water is planning to greatly increase the amount of energy it can extract from sewage sludge.

The water company can currently only extract half of the calorific value – the energy contained in raw sewage – from the sludge it treats by using anaerobic digestion (AD) to turn it into gas.

However, external affairs and sustainability director Richard Aylard told the London Infrastructure Summit yesterday (October 2017) that the company was developing new AD methods that could nearly double the amount of energy it can use.

“That will get us to 90% and also massively reduce the amount of residue that has to go out to farms,” Aylard told delegates. via Thames Water to increase energy extraction from sewage

10. New Technology Turns Poo Sewage Sludge to Petroleum-Like Biocrude Oil

A team of scientists from the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) at the US Department of Energy has found a way to reuse sewage sludge into biocrude oil, turning human waste into reusable fuel.

According to the study published by the PNNL, the researchers has devised a simple technology called hydrothermal processing (HTP). 

During HTP, sewage sludge is pressurized to about 3,000 pounds per square inch and then put into a reactor (a pressurized tube that's extremely hot at 660 degrees Fahrenheit). 

The heat in the reactor enables the cells in the sludge to break down, forming tow by-products: biocrude oil and "an aqueous liquid phase" that can be transformed into other kinds of chemical products.

"HTP converts organic material into biocrude oil, natural gas, or both, with potentially more than 99% conversion of organics. HTP uses the same processes which form fossil fuels, (heat, pressure, time, and water) but amplifies these conditions so the conversion occurs in a much shorter timeframe. 

This technology is specifically designed for wet feed stocks. The byproduct is a clear, sterile water," the Water Environment & Reuse Foundation (WERF) told Treehugger.

We hope you agree that there are some truly remarkable uses for sewage sludge!
See also www.anaerobic-digestion.com/anaerobic-digestion-basics/anaerobic-sludge-digestion

IADAB News Weekly - Edition 1 Announcing Our New Anaerobic Digestion & Biogas Weekly Newsletter

Updated January 2022:

The IPPTS Anaerobic Digestion and Biogas News WEEKLY

It’s Thursday the 21st of June, and this is our very first issue of IADAB News Weekly, Edition 1! 

<<  PUBLICATION CEASED >>

Our Video Biogas News was closed down when our visitors failed to watch our videos. We guessed that our visitors don't like our videos, or just don't like videos at all!

But we did not stop and we now have an email Newsletter of our website posts.

SIGN UP FOR OUR CURRENT EMAIL NEWSLETTER HERE. Go to the link. Scroll down and complete the form on the right hand side.

What we said About Our Newsletter in 2017 (See Below) is still true today

It's free, and our mission is to bring you the latest AD and Biogas news in a concise form. 

We aim to keep all our subscribers informed of the latest developments in the anaerobic digestion and biogas industry in the UK and globally. 

In today’s news we have a new planning application announced for a biogas plant to be built on a brownfield site in Sheffield which seems to tick all the boxes for sustainability. 

We can say that because we are told that the feedstock will be food-waste, and that the biogas will be upgraded to biomethane.

We also assume that the high efficiency plant will be one of the current breed of the most efficient type of AD energy uses, that being direct injection into the gas grid.

The developers of the Beeley AD Plant, will no doubt be be relieved, by the UK Department for Transport's (DfT's) response to its consultation on the Renewable Transport Fuel Obligation (RTFO) which we cover in our second featured article.

In our final excerpt, we report on an academic investigation in progress on the anaerobic co-digestion of food waste with sewage sludge. 

We do so, because we like to emphasise that Anaerobic Digestion is still a young discipline and that the technology is likely to develop much higher process efficiencies through research of this type.

Those stories are coming up right here...

Anaerobic Digestion Plant Planned for Beeley Wood

Plans have been submitted to develop an anaerobic digestion plant at the Beeley Wood Sustainable Business Park in Sheffield to replace a WWII-era factory and generate enough gas to power 2,500 homes.

Plans put together by Pegasus Group on behalf of Beeley Wood Biogas Ltd detail have been submitted to Sheffield City Council to redevelop the land bordering Beeley Wood in the Don Valley.

The site was formerly used by Union Carbide in the aftermath of World War II to produce carbon electrodes for the steel industry, graphite rods for the nuclear industry and related industrial products.

The new plant would receive commercial waste that has been accepted and de-packaged at the adjacent Waste Recycling and Destruction Ltd food recycling centre. via Anaerobic digestion plant planned for Beeley Wood

Anaerobic Digestion and Bioresources Association - Biomethane perfectly positioned to meet new renewable fuel targets

The UK's trade body for anaerobic digestion (AD) has welcomed the Department for Transport's (DfT's) response to its consultation on the Renewable Transport Fuel Obligation (RTFO), declaring biomethane to be perfectly positioned' to meet increased targets for renewable fuels.

DfT's reforms will obligate fuel suppliers to provide 9.75% of all fuels from renewable sources by 2020, a doubling of the current 4.75% obligation that will then rise to 12.4% of all fuels by 2032, helping to align the RTFO with the Government's Carbon Budgets. 

Biomethane produced through the recycling of organic wastes and energy crops is one such fuel derived from renewable sources that can help fuel suppliers to meet this new higher target, particularly for heavier vehicles for which electrification is impractical or expensive.

With more than 80 AD plants across the UK already producing biomethane, the UK AD industry has sufficient capacity today to produce enough biomethane to power 80% of the UK's entire bus fleet and the potential to produce enough biomethane to power 75% of all HGVs in the UK. It can also be used directly on farms to fuel agricultural vehicles.

Charlotte Morton, Chief Executive of the Anaerobic Digestion & Bioresources Association (ADBA), said of DfT's response to the RTFO consultation:

ADBA greatly welcomes DfT's increased commitment to supporting low-carbon fuels, which are essential for decarbonising the UK's emissions-heavy transport sector and meeting our Carbon Budgets.

The rising of the obligation for renewable-sourced fuels to 12.4% by 2032 goes beyond what was originally consulted on and will create a positive investment environment for renewable fuels. As a low-carbon, low-cost, and technology-ready transport fuel that can deliver £2.1 bn in CO2e savings per year and dramatically improve air quality, biomethane is perfectly positioned to play a leading role in helping fuel suppliers to meet these increased targets.

This news represents a huge opportunity for biomethane and will give plenty of food for thought and discussion at the ADBA Biomethane & Gas Vehicle Conference taking place in Leeds the week after next. via Anaerobic Digestion and Bioresources Association - Biomethane perfectly positioned to meet new renewable fuel targets – ADBA

Investigation on the anaerobic co-digestion of food waste with sewage sludge

In this laboratory-scale investigation on the applicability of the co-digestion of food waste with sewage sludge, evaluated were the effects of the single-stage versus two-stage operating modes at the hydraulic retention time (HRT) of 15 days, and the impact of HRTs: 15 days vs. 25 days, on the single-stage operation. via Investigation on the anaerobic co-digestion of food waste with sewage sludge.

We anticipate that our readers, just like ADBA will welcome the UK's DfT's increased support for low-carbon fuels, and in other nations globally this news will perhaps help to reinforce UK government statements that the UK will continue to support its decarbonisation commitments.

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5 Ways in Which Biogas Can Reduce Urban Air Pollution

This short video explains how biogas can reduce urban air pollution.

1- Gas-powered vehicles emit far lower Nitrogen Oxides, known as NOx, and particulate matter than their diesel-based counterparts. By transitioning away from petrol and diesel fuels to biomethane, cities can achieve both GHG emissions reduction and improved air quality. This has already been done successfully for some vehicle fleets in some cities including Lille and Berlin.

2. Replacing other fuels with biogas use can reduce Fine Particulate Matter in urban air in developing countries. Over 30% of fine particulate matter in the urban air in Central and Eastern Europe and Africa originates from domestic burning of solid fuel such as wood and coal for heat and cooking.

3. Replacing wood with biogas as domestic fuel would almost eliminate particulate matter emissions from this source.

4. Replacing coal with biogas for electricity production would nearly eliminate particulate matter emissions and reduce carbon dioxide emissions by over 40%.

5. Diverting organic waste away from landfills may improve air quality around the landfill, and in particular, can reduce odours.

6. By collecting and using food waste, or the organic fraction of municipal solid waste, for the production of biogas energy, cities can improve air quality. This is because biogas plants not only generate their own renewable power via biogas but can also be used to dispose of the waste, which will no longer be sent to landfills.

7 Tips to Decide if Anaerobic Digestion of Biomass Will Benefit Food Com...

Food Processing companies should use these 7 Tips to make an assessment of whether their business can benefit from the Anaerobic Digestion of Biomass.

The fact is that anaerobic digestion of biomass can be of real benefit to some food companies which prepare food products of all types.

Waste biomass has a value when it is used as the feedstock for an anaerobic digestion plant, but these companies often don’t appreciate the biomass asset which hides unseen, in the high organic content of their food processing waste.

Food companies are not only unaware that they can make money from the anaerobic digestion of their biomass, but what is even worse is that the chances are that disposing of it is costing them a lot of money.

These companies are charged for their waste treatment and disposal according to the Mogden formula,

which calculates costs according to the volume and strength of their wastewater.



Like other industrial companies that discharge waste water into the sewerage network, they should make a conscious decision whether or not, to invest, in an energy-producing anaerobic digestion (biogas) plant. If they did they would be able to use the energy to power their food waste processing factory, and most likely sell some of it to their local electricity network (local grid company).

The following are our the headings to our 7 tips to Assess whether the Anaerobic Digestion of Biomass Will Benefit a Food Company:

Tip 1. Ensure any review starts with core decisions at the production process level,

Tip 2. Collect real plant data and collate it in intelligible formats,

Tip 3. Seek out high waste content streams,

Tip 4. Optimisation of Return on Investment,

Tip 5. Look at other solutions including, for example, the anaerobic digestion of biomass,

Tip 6. Re-assess whether to keep resources in-house,

Tip 7. Choose a contractor with a track record.


It’s all about going back to basics first, having an intimate knowledge of what the waste profile is of the plant, and finally being courageous to change the way companies work.

For those prepared to put in the investment, and work to collect the right data, and apply that to an in-depth understanding of their waste water and biomass waste issues the benefits can be amazing.

If they then partner with an experienced contractor, to deliver the necessary infrastructure, 
such as anaerobic digestion of biomass facility, there are a lot of opportunities out there.


Now read the full article at http://anaerobic-digestion.com/anaerobic-digestion-of-biomass-food-company


For AD Consultancy services visit http://ipptsassociates.co.uk

Anaerobic Digestion of Dog Poop Fuelled a Pacific Park Lamp - What Now?

The story of anaerobic digestion of dog poop which at first simply lights a park lamp, but can do much more in future, is a fascinating story for its use in anaerobic digestion, to both render it harmless by providing soil improver/ a fertiliser after pastuerisation, and an energy source (methane biogas).

To demonstrate this fact we have put together some of the articles on the subject which are available on the internet.

If you are like many people you will be reading this with disbelief, and we don't blame you. 

How could all that smelly dog poop which is such a high disease risk, especially for children, possibly become a substance which can be useful?

Our video will explain this. Watch our video below:

Note: The video says click the link below, but there is no need to click any links, because you are already here, on the full article page!

The answer is through using the anaerobic digestion process in a new and very simple low-rate low temperature biogas digester, huge new possibilities emerge. Unfortunately, uptake for new parks, seems to have stalled as we explain below, but the idea is interesting.

First, let us look at the typical research which confirms the potential of dog poop to feed anaerobic digestion plants.

It confirms that there is both plenty of it that is now being collected, and when blended with certain other biomass (for example grass mowings), there is a synergy that is very productive:

Comparative Study of the Potential of Dog Waste for Biogas

The potential of dog waste to produce biogas and/or enhance the biogas productivity of some other animal and plant wastes was investigated.

From the trials it was concluded that... dog waste can be a source of biogas and a source of catalyst for prolonging the retention time of other waste samples such as field grass and cow dung.

The result of the proximate and microbial analyses reveals that dog waste has high potential for biogas production that even though its quantity may be small, it is a good blend for other waste types such as field grass and cow dung. via Comparative Study of the Potential of Dog Waste for Biogas

But, how much dog poop is available?

6,500 tons of dog poop is produced in the San Francisco alone... Local authorities do provide dog waste ... Yard waste and food scraps can go through the same biogas ... via Dog Poop Power For San Francisco

So, the problem of dog poop exists, there is lots of it, and there are researchers that say anaerobic digestion will work, but is it already being digested? Is it being digested in biogas plants anywhere?

The simple answer is, yes it is, in a number of cities. An example is described in the article excerpt below, about Waterloo Council in Canada

Dog waste anaerobic digestion scheme for Waterloo, Canada

(2012) The city of Waterloo in Ontario, Canada, will soon be home to a dog waste biogas facility, according to the Huffington Post. Dog waste from around the city will be collected and turned into energy using anaerobic digestion. It will be one of the first times such a program has been used in a Canadian city. 

Although already popular in smaller Canadian towns, dog waste anaerobic digestion has yet to be tested in a city of Waterloo’s size.

Special ‘receptacles’ will be set up around the city which dog owners can put their dog’s waste into instead of a regular litter bin. The dog waste bins will be bright green, with a dog-shaped opening.

"It's actually a big issue, dog waste. If you look at our municipal litter bins ... it's 40 to 80 per cent dog waste,'' Waterloo mayor Dave Jaworsky told the Huffington Post. The city has a population of about 100,000 people.

After being stored underground for ten to 14 days, the dog waste will be vacuumed out and sent to a processing plant outside the city, where it will be used to create biogas for heat and energy. Any surplus will be used for fertiliser. ... via Dog waste anaerobic digestion scheme for Waterloo, Canada

Ah! Those Canadians can do it, but it is probably highly subsidised you say, given that this example is in Canada.

But let us tell you that this works at many different scales, and at a low rate in the following example:

Dog Poop Has Bright Side: Powering a Park Lamp

It stinks and it's a hazard to walkers everywhere, but it turns out dog poop has a bright side. Dog poop is lighting a lantern at a Cambridge dog park as part of a monthslong project that its creator, artist Matthew Mazzotta, hopes will get people thinking about not wasting waste.

The "Park Spark" poop converter is actually two steel, 500-gallon oil tanks painted a golden yellow, connected by diagonal black piping and attached to an old gaslight-style street lantern at the Pacific Street Park.

After the dogs do their business, signs on the tanks instruct owners to use biodegradable bags supplied on site to pick up the poop and deposit it into the left tank. People then turn a wheel to stir its insides, which contain waste and water. Microbes in the waste give off methane, an odorless gas that is fed through the tanks to the lamp and burned off. The park is small but has proven busy enough to ensure a steady supply of fuel.

Dog owner Lindsey Leason, a 29-year-old Harvard student, said she was all for seeing poop in a new light as she watched her two dogs play at the park. ... via Dog Poop Has Bright Side: Powering Park Lamp

Oh! But, this is only playing at producing methane, the doubters would say.

So, let us provide another article in which this is reported again as working:

Dog poop methane digester turns waste into biogas

City parks confronted with dog waste hope to turn the nuisance into a usable source of biogas. With the  "Park Spark" poop converter is actually two steel, 500-gallon oil tanks painted a golden yellow, connected by diagonal black piping and attached to an old gaslight-style street lantern at the Pacific Street Park.

After the dogs do their business, signs on the tanks instruct owners to use biodegradable bags supplied on site to pick up the poop and deposit it into the left tank. People then turn a wheel to stir its insides, which contain waste and water. Microbes in the waste give off methane, an odorless gas that is fed through the tanks to the lamp and burned off. The park is small but has proven busy enough to ensure a steady supply of fuel.

Dog owner Lindsey Leason, a 29-year-old Harvard student, said she was all for seeing poop in a new light as she watched her two dogs play at the park.

Dog poop methane digester turns waste into biogas - YouTube via Dog poop methane digester turns waste into biogas - YouTube

We agree that to show that municipal authorities in wealthy cities are digesting dog poo successfully, may be one thing, but large scale take up of dog poo as a "green" energy source will not begin until businesses can do this, offer to take dog poo, and make money with it.

That's why the Pacific park lamp articles are so interesting.

Unfortunately, the park lamp biogas idea does not seem to have withstood the test of time.

A company in Wales, UK, which was promoting the method in the UK, as shown by the following article, is not actively promoting this any longer on their website.

Back in 2012 they were reported as below:

Welsh Company Streetkleen Taps Dog Waste for Renewable Biogas

A business model for dog waste-to-biogas

The waste-to-lamplight stations are ideal in terms of public awareness and they could raise some opportunities for revenue from corporate sponsorships, but the real meat of Streetkleen’s business plan will be a network of Streetkleen waste disposal receptacles that come complete with biodegradable waste bags.

Under contracts with local governments, the waste would be picked up regularly and taken to a commercial scale digester facility.

Assuming that dog owners tune into the new system and use the special dog waste receptacles instead of putting the waste in with mixed trash, that could add up to quite a bundle. In the U.K., an estimated 1 million dogs generate about 1,000 British tons (tonnes) of waste every day.

In the U.S. the economy of scale could really kick in. According to an ASPCA estimate, there are more than 1.5 million dogs in New York City alone.

For that matter, dog waste removal is already starting to turn into a business opportunity, in the form of pet waste removal companies that serve homes and private companies, so it’s not a stretch to apply a similar model to municipal pet waste removal.

Local governments would pay for the service, but at least some of that cost would be offset by diverting tons of heavy, soggy waste out of the general stream that would otherwise go to incinerators or landfills.

Dog poop methane digester turns waste into biogas - via Welsh Company Streetkleen Taps Dog Waste for Renewable Biogas

The park lamp biogas method articles stop in 2013, so clearly a problem has occurred with this business model.

Nevertheless, dog poop biogas production is moving forward now that there are many more anaerobic digestion food waste plants which can accept this waste for co-digestion with the food waste.

Plus, Streetkleen was promoting a fascinating, and highly innovative business model, no matter what the outcome.

Local authorities in the UK who are sending dog poop to landfill will be being charged at a cost of about GBP100 per tonne, so there is money to be had from accepting dog poo in anaerobic digestion plants, with suitable waste management licenses.

If anyone reading this knows about the current fate of any of the park lamp biogas plants we would love to know what has happened since 2013? Are the original lamps still biogas lit?

Egg Shaped Anaerobic Digesters - The Secret of Huge Spherical Shaped Tanks

Many people wonder what those partly spherical, and partly egg-shaped, tanks in multiples of two to four really are at their local sewage works.  

That's why we wrote this article, and a video (see below) on exactly the same subject, namely: "Anaerobic Digesters - those Strange Looking Tanks Explained"

Have you ever wondered what those huge "otherworldy", and futuristic, spherical tanks are that you sometimes see while out driving?

They are anaerobic digestion process digesters, and very useful they are too!

When you hear why they are built in that shape, you will be intrigued at the way that the designers have thought of so many problematic aspects of their AD process. Then they used careful attention to the shape of these biogas reactors to make the process work much better than it would in standard square, rectangular or circular tanks.

These digesters are themselves very valuable because they make sewage sludge much more wholesome and in particular they reduce sludge odour.

But, best of all, they make large amounts of renewable energy to power the sewage works they form part of. Many of them export their spare "green" electricity to the local power grid.

Ratepayers benefit by the reduced cost of their sewage treatment, due to these companies ploughing back the revenue from selling the electric power, from these digesters, into the sewage works accounts, to offset the sewage treatment operating costs.

Egg-shaped digesters originated in Germany in the 1950s and it is thought that all are used to treat sewage works sludge.

1. The steeply sloped bottom of the tank eliminates grit accumulation.
2. Grit can easily be removed from the bottom, therefore, cleaning is not required.
3. Liquid surface area at the top is small, so scum can be kept fluid with a mixer, and removed through a scum door.
4. Egg-shaped digesters can be built with steel or concrete.
5. Steel construction is more common because concrete construction requires complex formwork and special construction techniques.

If you found our article, and the above video interesting, now read more at our website.

Go to: www.anaerobic-digestion.com/anaerobic-digestion-basics/anaerobic-sludge-digestion/

This video was inspired by the presentation on egg-shaped digesters at http://mebig.marmara.edu.tr/Enve424/Chapter8.pdf