UK General Election December 2019 - Do This or Fail to Match 2017 Government Green Pledges A Challenge to the New Government

The news is just breaking that parliament is set to agree a UK General Election on 12 December 2019. The new government must act as below, or fail to match the green pledges already made by the 2017 Conservative Government.

So, Labour, Conservative, or Liberal politicians you must match these green pledges or better them on sustainable renewable energy and the environment! That's our challenge to the New Government. And, in view of the climate change imperative to act now, this is much more important than ever before!

ABDA issued the following PR on 23 October before parliament voted to suspend the Fixed Term Parliament Act today (30 October 2019).

"ADBA’s vision is to see the full potential of the UK AD industry realised so it can help the UK achieve its emissions targets and other policy goals, creating a truly circular economy."

Press Release:

Anaerobic digestion trade association submits proposals to Government ahead of the Budget

Letter to Chancellor highlights the industry's potential towards achieving the Government's Net Zero emissions target and the impact of uncertainty on the sector.

Priorities set out by ADBA include better cross-departmental working to ensure coordinated policy and support towards the implementation of separate food waste collections, a new funding system and dedicated Research & Innovation infrastructure for the industry.

Charlotte Morton of ADBA

UK AD industry has potential to reduce UK greenhouse gases emissions by 5%.

With the UK needing to show leadership on ultra low carbon technologies as President of the 2020 UN Framework Convention for Climate Change Conference of Parties (COP26), the Anaerobic Digestion and Bioresources Association (ADBA) has written to Chancellor Sajid Javid ahead of the next Budget announcement, setting out the industry's views on the policies needed to stimulate growth of the anaerobic digestion (AD) sector and fulfil its potential to reduce some of the hardest-to-decarbonise emissions.  

Currently, AD is predominantly recognised for its role in generating green energy.

But AD also prevents methane emissions from organic wastes left to break down in landfill – and there is a huge untapped potential for methane capture, use and conversion with millions of tonnes of organic wastes from farming, food and sewage currently not being treated through AD.
In addition, AD treatment of organics recovers nutrients to fertilise depleted soils and improve their ability to sequester carbon.

The Treasury has been tasked with coordinating government efforts to achieve Net Zero emissions by 2050.  The AD has the potential to cut UK emissions by 5% across multiple sectors and therefore needs policy incentives applied across multiple Government departments (namely BEIS, Treasury, DEFRA, and Transport) to operate effectively.   Good cross-departmental policy coordination is therefore essential to enable the industry to grow and achieve widespread emission abatement.  This is a key ask from ADBA, which also lists the following priorities:

The Government must provide clear financial parameters to Local Authorities (LAs) to implement the mandatory separate food waste collections by 2023 stated in the Resources & Waste Strategy – which features a clear preference for inedible food waste to be recycled through AD.

It is vital that LAs are fully supported with set up costs that include funding the development of infrastructure to enable LAs to do so. Government must clarify its financial support as a matter of urgency, especially as around 70 LAs will be signing new waste contracts in the time period leading to the separate food waste collections implementation deadline.

The Budget must commit to an interim pot of funding for biomethane plant deployment similar to the Renewable Heat Incentive, which is due to come to an end in March 2021, while a future funding mechanism is developed (the Feed- In-Tariff has already closed, the lack of a floor price makes the Renewable Transport Fuels Obligation an unstable alternative to support biomethane plant deployment, Contracts-for-Difference support the larger AD plants whilst many in the sector are small, and the Smart Export Guarantee does not provide price certainty, or consider the wider, non-energy benefits of AD).

It is critical that the Budget commits additional support for AD for 2021 and beyond.

The Government must support AD innovation to make it financially autonomous. Enclosed in ADBA's letter to the Chancellor was the trade association's proposal for a virtual Centre for Anaerobic Biotechnology and Bioresources Research (CABB) to develop new waste management technologies, that would not only boost British exports, but also transform the sector’s performance and eliminate the need for subsidies in the future.  CABB's objective is to transform AD into a low-cost, multifunctional biotechnology and a key ingredient in developing integrated processes to deliver future energy and resources provision.

ADBA's Chief Executive Charlotte Morton said:

"As a result of enjoying consistent policy and funding support, the wind and solar industries have become extremely cost-effective and are now established as part of the renewable energy mix. AD should be given the same fair treatment, to put the sector on the ‘glide path’ to no subsidy, as costs come down and innovation drives cost savings across the industry.

The UK AD sector has grown by over 350% over the last ten years and established itself as a world leader with UK companies exporting biogas-related expertise and equipment. However, the current timeline for the Greening the Gas Grid consultation is unlikely to provide the urgent continuity necessary to stimulate further industry growth. 

The sector's progress has already effectively stalled due to the lack of policy certainty, and there is a real risk of losing expertise if there is an ongoing gap in policy provision. Meanwhile, with CABB, we could supercharge our industry and put it at the cutting edge of agricultural science.

We await the Budget next month with interest and are continuing our discussions with the Treasury and BEIS on our proposals in advance of its publication."

http://adbioresources.org/

- ENDS -

Advantages of Biofuel: The New Sustainable Oil-Fields Of Tomorrow

Biofuels play a major part in the renewable energy strategy of Denmark.

Denmark is using biofuel to achieve its target of using 100% renewable energy for all energy uses by 2050. In this, biofuels provide a large share of he future energy sources in Denmark. Especially when considering all sectors of energy demand in conjunction with Denmark's highly developed renewable energy resources.

The main sources of biofuels in Denmark include:

• wood and wood products
• energy from waste straw
• biogas biodiesel and bioethanol.

Biofuels have the potential to provide environmental and economic benefits, but they must be carefully managed to ensure that they are truly sustainable resources.

There is the potential for economic and environmental damage if biofuels are not used responsibly. Biofuel use in Europe must be certified by the EU Commission before biofuels can be recorded as sustainable resources, and used for national renewable energy targets.

The oil shocks of the 1970s severely impacted Denmark as about 90% of its energy use then came from oil. The majority of that oil was imported. So, the government was thus compelled to rethink its energy portfolio.

It shifted the focus of its energy plans as a result biomass for bioenergy started being incentivized. Even way back then, it was promoted as a renewable energy source, and an alternative to fossil fuels. Denmark's aim was to reduce the oil dependency and to secure energy supplies.

That's an objective that has remained relevant in the progression of the country's energy policy to this day.

The prospect of the creation of new jobs in the utilization of waste products also factored into Denmark's decision to start using biomass, consequently the use of biomass in the Danish energy system has continuously grown.

In the last decade bio energy consumption in Denmark has nearly doubled, increasing by more than a factor of 12 between 1970 and present day.

Over this period biomass has been predominantly used in the form of waste straw and wood.

Currently Denmark is striving to create an energy system by 2050 that is free of all fossil energy. so, bioenergy will likely play a key role in order to achieve this goal.

In addition, Denmark has since 1993 been increasing its development of large-scale combined heat and power plants.

CHP plants combust biomass and do it in a way that has achieved continuous technological improvements. Many improvements have been achieved over the past 20 years.

The Danish strategy to reduce emissions has also included retrofitting older coal-fired plants to make them biomass-fired.

They are investing heavily into research development and demonstration (RD&D) for converting agricultural residues into second generation 2g bio ethanol.

Bio ethanol which is then blended with gasoline for the transportation sector.

RD&D activities are also in place for biodiesel for shipping and Road Transport in agreement with the European Environment Agency, scientific committee.

Denmark considers environmental sustainability as a key component of its strategy to incorporate a greater share of biofuels into its energy portfolio. As such, it does not consider biomass produced from existent forests as carbon neutral. But, it counts waste.

Biomass has doubled in output towards its renewable energy target, thus favoring biomass grown on marginal land or sourced from residues. This way the country is able to ensure that it benefits from incorporating a larger share of biomass into its energy system.

Biomass sourced from plantations that have been converted from natural forest land then generates a net carbon benefit over fossil fuels.

Denmark's guidelines for utilising biomass for energy and transportation strive to ensure both environmental sustainability and efficiency aspects as a member state of the European Union (EU). Denmark is working under commitments from its directives which set targets for the amount of renewable energy within the national profiles including biofuels.

It is following the EU legislation. For example its renewable energy use should reach 100% by 2020.

However, Denmark has been highly proactive and ambitious in the targets it has set for its renewable energy in greenhouse gas emissions reduction. Such as aiming for 100% renewable energy by 2050.

Source: Wikipedia article.

Biogas Plants Must Comply with these 4 UK Regulations - PPC Compliance for Anaerobi...

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4 Essential UK Regulations All Biogas Plant Operators Must Observe

All anaerobic digestion plant operators in the UK must comply with the regulations concerning environmental protection, animal by-products, duty of care, health and safety and waste handling!

Keep reading! Please give us a little bit of your valuable time, and in 5 to 10 short minutes we will explain our list of 4 essential UK regulations all biogas plants must comply with.

Regulation 1. Environmental Permitting

Environmental Permitting (EP) is a scheme in England and Wales, for regulating business activities that could have an impact on the environment and human health. AD plant operators must obtain a permit, or an exemption to operate and to spread digestate, and show that you are competent to operate the plant.

There are three levels of permitting, a number of activities that entitle operators to an exemption.:

Exemptions are available for small scale biogas digesters which are classified as non-waste facilities, but you are still required to register with the Environment Agency and provide some technical information, although no charges apply.

If your activity is not exempt, the next step in rising permit complexity is the need for a Standard Permit.

These are simplified permits used for plants which fit within a number of pre-defined standard rules, including throughput, output and nature of material being digested and for this fixed charges apply.

If a biogas plant's method of operation doesn't fall within the rules they don't allow the adoption of a Standard Permit.

The next step-up in complexity, and charges, is a "Bespoke Permit", (in this instance variable charges apply).

This process is more costly and time consuming, but provides greater coverage and flexibility in plant operations. Permits may also be required for Spreading Digestate.

Designing an AD Plant which is shown to comply with the PAS 110 Quality Protocol can become important to reduce the degree of regulatory involvement.

Material that has been processed to PAS 110 and Quality Protocol standards is no longer regarded as a waste.

However, to spread waste material (prior to achieving PAS 110 accreditation) to agricultural and non-agricultural land to confer benefit or ecological improvement, you will still have to apply for a permit or register for an exemption.

If you do not fit the criteria for an exemption there is a Standard Rule Permit, for spreading waste material to land, and a fee will be charged.

Seeding new AD Plants may also require a permit or exemption, during plant start-up.

Regulation 2. Animal By-Products Regulations

Animal by-products (ABPs) are animal carcasses, parts of carcasses or products of animal origin that are not intended for human consumption. The Animal By-Products Regulations (ABPR) permit the treatment in approved composting and biogas premises of low-risk (category 3) ABPs and catering waste which contains meat or which comes from a premises handling meat.

High risk (Category 2) ABPs such as manure and digestive tract content, cannot be used as feedstock in biogas plants, except, after the output has been treated to special pressure-rendering standards.

Further information is available from the Animal and Plant Health Agency (A.P.H.A.).

Regulation 3. Duty of Care

The duty of care is a law which says you must take all reasonable steps to keep waste safe. You have a legal responsibility to ensure that you produce, store, transport and dispose of waste without harming the environment. Duty of care law is available at the UK Government Defra and Environment Agency websites.

Regulation 4. Health and Safety at Work Regulations

Anaerobic digestion can be regarded as a chemical process with all the associated risks: flammable atmospheres, fire and explosion, toxic gases, confined spaces, asphyxiation, pressure systems, COSHH, etc.

In addition, it also incorporates gas handling and gas storage.

Therefore, it is essential that thorough hazard and risk assessments are carried out at each stage of any biogas plant project from design to installation to commissioning to implementation and operation.

Thanks for reading this and we hope you found this article useful.

At IPPTS associates consultants; we offer our services to help you comply with all of these regulations, provided that you have a budget for our work: https://ipptsassociates.co.uk/services/

Tipos de planta de biogás - Qué sucede en una planta de biogás

Tipos de planta de biogás - Qué sucede en una planta de biogás Explicación de la digestión anaerobia.

5 tipos de plantas de biogás: los diseños de plantas DA más comunes en los Estados Unidos.

Siga buscando nuestros 5 mejores tipos de diseño de plantas de digestión anaeróbica en los Estados Unidos., Enumerados en orden de popularidad.

Tipo 1. Laguna anaeróbica cubierta

En un diseño de laguna anaeróbica cubierta, el metano se recupera y se canaliza al dispositivo de combustión desde una laguna después de que se recoge debajo de una cubierta flexible.

Aquí hay un diagrama de una laguna anaerobia cubierta que muestra 2 células.

La primera celda retiene el influente del digestor y atrapa el biogás y la segunda celda recoge el efluente del digestor.

Algunos sistemas usan una sola celda, como se muestra aquí, para la digestión y el almacenamiento combinados, y otros tienen múltiples celdas.

Aquí hay otra fotografía de este tipo de diseño de planta DA.

Tipo 2. Digestor de flujo de enchufe

Los digestores de flujo de tapón se utilizan principalmente en operaciones de lácteos que recolectan estiércol mediante raspado.

Los sistemas de flujo de tapón se han utilizado en una amplia variedad de operaciones, ya que pueden tolerar una gama más amplia de concentraciones de sólidos.

Aquí hay un diagrama de un digestor de flujo de tapón que muestra el influente del digestor entrando y fluyendo a través del digestor, con el biogás siendo capturado y almacenado debajo de una cubierta.

Este ejemplo muestra otro digestor de flujo de tapón con una cubierta de membrana de plástico flexible.

Este ejemplo muestra un digestor de flujo de tapón con una cubierta rígida.

Tipo 3. Mezcla completa de plantas de biogás

También se denominan CSR o reactores de agitación continua.

Los digestores completamente mezclados están diseñados con un tanque cerrado y calentado con un sistema mecánico, hidráulico o de mezcla de gases.

Los digestores de mezcla completa funcionan mejor cuando hay una cierta dilución del estiércol excretado con agua (por ejemplo, aguas residuales del centro de ordeño).

Aquí hay un diagrama de un digestor mixto completo, que ilustra el proceso de agregar estiércol al digestor; mezclar, calentar y almacenar el biogás dentro del digestor; y extraer el efluente resultante.

Aquí hay una foto de dos tanques de digestor de mezcla completa con un agitador montado en la pared.

Aquí hay una foto de un mezclador montado externamente, en una estructura de soporte.

¡Ya estamos a la mitad de este video! ¡Sigue mirando! ¡Es posible que no haya oído hablar de estos tipos de plantas de biogás antes!

Tipo 4. Digestores por lotes.

Un digestor por lotes es la forma más simple de digestión, donde el estiércol se agrega al reactor al comienzo del proceso como un lote. El reactor se llena y el reactor permanece cerrado durante la duración del proceso.

Tipo 5. Reactores combinados inducidos.

Estos también se conocen como UASBR (Reactores de flujo de lodo anaeróbico ascendente). Estos son digestores en los que se desarrolla una capa de lodo y retiene las bacterias anaerobias, proporcionando un ambiente rico en bacterias a través del cual debe pasar la materia prima.

Fuente: sitio web de US Agstar.

https://www.epa.gov/agstar/how-does-anaerobic-digestion-work#coproducts

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EU Biogas Trends in 2019 - 6 Anaerobic Digestion and Biogas Industry Trends

Biogas Trends for 2019 and Predicted Developments in the Anaerobic Digestion Industry in Europe

The European Biogas Association (EBA) has predicted the biogas trends for 2019, taking into account current EU priorities, and the technical developments in the sector.

Trend 1. Biogas growth to continue in electricity, heat and especially biomethane production.

In June 2018 the EU institutions agreed on a new Renewable Energy Directive for the next decade, including a legally-binding EU-wide target of 32% for renewable energy by 2030.

The European biogas sector had a total of 17,783 biogas plants and an electricity production of 65,179 GWhr in 2017.

In Europe it will be the number of biomethane plants (which upgrade biogas to biomethane) with grid-injection and biomethane liquification, which will continue to grow fastest.

Biomethane plant numbers have already risen from 187 plants in 2011, up to a total of 540 plants in 2017, in the most recent data available.

Trend 2. More efficient added-value will be extracted by generating income from the whole biogas production process.

Currently, anaerobic digestion (AD) plants are mainly considered to be energy producers (electricity, heat and biomethane).

There are many more benefits of AD, which are not yet fully exploited to produce financial revenues.

Anaerobic digestion can be used to produce organic fertilizers and help save GHG emissions, process organic waste and act as a very flexible source of renewable energy.

Trend 3. Integration into the EU circular economy

The main expected trend for the biogas and biomethane sectors in the upcoming years will be a better integration into the EU circular economy.

Digestate, the output of the digestion process, is an example of this trend.

It will become more widely accepted and used as organic fertilizer.

Thereby, replacing the energy-intensive production of traditional non-renewable sourced fertilizers.

In this regard it is notable that the European Parliament, Council and Commission recently agreed upon the "Fertilizing Products Regulation", which will open the market for organic fertilizers.

Trend 4. There will be moves toward seasonal biogas energy storage

As the share of renewables and intermittent energy sources grows in Europe, the demand for flexible energy production is increasing. Biogas and biomethane will be likely to be stored to overcome seasonal variations in energy demand.

Trend 5. Better AD Plant local integrations

The integration of biogas and biomethane plants in their local environment will improve. Plants will take better advantage of location-specific opportunities.

Value-added opportunities from the end-products (CO2-gas, organic fertilizer and CHP) will be better integrated with neighbours.

Making anaerobic digestion facilities a better neighbours, and reducing concerns of local citizens.
For example, the CO2-gas flow that remains after upgrading biogas to biomethane, will more often be used as a nutrient source in nearby horticulture.

It will be delivered in simple underground pipelines, and to be distributed longer distances, the CO2-gas trend will be for increased liquification.

Trend 6. Combined heat and power production (CHP) will rise

Another upcoming trend will be the use of combined heat and power production (CHP) from electric power generation, to meet local heat demands.

The high value of such renewable gas will gain further recognition with biomethane being used for the same end-user applications as natural gas.

Three additional European countries (Belgium, Estonia and Ireland) connected their first biomethane plant to their national gas grid, in 2018.

This resulted in a total number of European biomethane producing countries of 18.

Finally, the "European Renewable Gas Registry" (ERGaR) is working to implement a European-wide administration system which will allow cross-border trade of biomethane.

If successful this is expected to boost the biomethane sector still further.

Source: An interpretation of a European Biogas Association article "Biogas Trends for this Year".

Comments on Interpretation

My main problem in writing the script for this video was understanding the word "valorisation" which is used in the original article.

It is a term with strong left-wing origins and using it is to be very insensitive to the issues surrounding the UK and Brexit.

I think the way it is used is simply an error, probably due to a lack of knowledge of the use of English, during translation from what was probably a German language original text.

With that in mind, I decided to assume that I would follow Wikipedia and defined "valorisation" as a miss-translation of the German word "Verwertung".

The general meaning of "Verwertung" (according to Wikipedia) is the productive use of a resource, and more specifically the use or application of something (an object, process or activity) so that it makes money, or generates value, with the connotation that the thing validates itself and proves its worth when it results in earnings, a yield.

I am sure EBRA would not wish to be seen as a Marxist organisation. I would be interested in the views of others about this.

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Aerobic Digestion and Anaerobic Digestion Compared

That's the subject of our recent article on our main blog.

The Differences Between Aerobic Digestion and Anaerobic Digestion are described in our educational video above.

Visit: https://blog.anaerobic-digestion.com/...
for the full article.
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Anaerobic Digester Feedstocks Types and Sustainable Uses

The Amazing Realities of the Humble Anaerobic Digester

For a biogas digester to produce gas, it just requires seeding with methane-producing bacteria. This isn't hard because these exist all around us.

Biogas is generated by the breaking down of natural, biodegradable waste or product (also called biomass) such as veggies, leaves, grass, weeds, remaining food scraps as well as such.

It's called a digester because the natural product is consumed as well as digested by bacteria to generate biogas.

Organic feedstocks are very flexible, varying from farm manures and also crops, to sewage sludge and also event catering wastes and also food wastes (consisting of raw and also cooked food, consisting of meat items).

The REA has been involved in campaigning for the manufacturing of biogas in the UK considering that 2001 as well as formed the Biogas Sector Group in 2004.

Every tonne of food waste reused by anaerobic food digestion as an option to garbage dumping that material avoids in between 0.5 and 1.0 tonne of CARBON DIOXIDE going into the environment, one of the numerous benefits of anaerobic food digestion.

What Can Go Into a Digester?

Anything natural can be fed to the digester supplied it's naturally degradable and also has very percentages of cellulose. Other common natural products made use of in biogas digesters consist of sewer, glycerin, algae and also lawns. After the methane-producing microorganisms is presented, the microorganisms will reproduce and the procedure continues definitely, and there is no risk that the bacteria will certainly die.

Diversified farming nowadays is everything about sustainable renewable energy, from discussing green energy resources, to products, services, and innovation advancements in this field.

Read more about it! See it here.

A typical anaerobic digestion plant (digester) creates as much as 1,900 m3/hr of enriched biomethane by cleansing.

Also, many are updating the methane-rich biogas created from the anaerobic food digestion of waste.

Like natural gas, biogas is made use of as a gas to create electricity to power farm equipment, for lights applications, in gas stoves for food preparation, and also for transport.

Not Just a Large Tank with a Glossy Plastic Dome Over It!

A biogas digester (also known as a biogas plant) is a large tank where inside biogas is created with the decomposition/breakdown of raw material through a process called anaerobic food waste digestion.

Biogas Upgrading

Biogas can additionally be cleaned as well as upgraded to create pressed natural gas (CNG) or liquefied natural gas (LNG).

CNG as well as LNG can be utilized to fuel vehicles and also cars and trucks. All anaerobic food digestion systems stick to the same basic concepts whether the feedstock is food waste, pet manures or wastewater sludge. The systems may have some differences in style but the procedure is generally the very same.

A Proportion of Carbon Dioxide - Always Found in Raw Biogas - Needs Removing from the Gas

A percentage of CO2 is always found in biogas when it is formed. It has to be removed during upgrading as there is none in natural gas LNG.

After removing the CO2 (as well as various other trace gases using a variety of methods in a procedure referred to as upgrading) the continuing to be methane is known as Renewable Gas or Biomethane.

The Coevorden (BEC) bio-digester, which provided the very first cubic meters of eco-friendly gas to Gasunie's nationwide gas network, is an example of an upgraded biogas supply.

One cubic metre of biogas at 60% methane material converts to 6.7 kWh energy.

After the gas is gotten rid of the slurry will certainly flow back right into the container it remained in at first.

Biogas is extensively made use of in homes around the world, particularly in nations where this modern technology has been extensively readily available and made use of.


As an example, in Europe companies such as ENER-G deal small CHP (4kWe to over 10MWe) from biogas, with around 170MWe currently set up.

Natural Fertilizer Output Enhances Soil Quality

The digester upgrades the biogas to biomethane (~ 98%; 1.5% nitrogen). The gas to grid plant at Bristol Sewage Treatment Works was the initial and largest of its kind.

The upgrading method prevents biomass transportation problems, in contrast with present biorefineries, while effectively valorizing decentralized biomass feedstocks such as agricultural waste or energy plants.

City of Oslo Digester Plant

Another example is the biogas digester plant which is operated behalf of EGE (Waste-to-Energy Agency) and the City of Oslo. Sweden is a globe leader in upgrading and use biomethane for transportation, and has lots of 'biogas lorries', including private cars, buses, as well as even a biogas train and a biogas powered exploring automobile group.

Gas is commonly used as a transportation fuel in lots of European nations, especially Italy, which flaunts 650,000 gas powered lorries.

A recently funded research study program on fuel will assess the opportunity of making use of biogas as a fuel for compression ignition engines of non-road cars as well as tractor makers of plant utilized in agriculture.

Gas Injected to the Natural Gas Grid

Biomethane made from biogas is slightly lower in calorific value than natural gas. To supply all users fairly it needs to be supplemented with a higher calorific gas. Propane from cylinders is the usual solution.

However, some biogas plant operators are finding ways to avoid this unwanted use of a fossil-derived fuel by improving the calorific value their digester supplies.

This enriches the gas to natural gas quality and calorific worth.

After enrichment the biogas generated from the digesters then enters the gas to grid plant.

Sewage Treatment Sludge from Wastewater Treatment (Sewage Works)

Sewer sludge as well as food waste is dealt with and pumped right into a collection of anaerobic digesters.

Sewage Works biogas from sludge provides the nationwide grid with sufficient gas to provide thousands of regional residences and also guarantee the sewer treatment works is energy self-sufficient.

This freely generated biomethane can, of course, after that be infused into the gas grid.

Anaerobic Digestion Plants UK What Are They? How Many Are There?

Update on the State of Anaerobic Digestion in the UK with the Latest Number of Operational Plants

Anaerobic digestion (AD) mostly uses existing waste feedstocks, at times partly with purpose-grown crops, helping to reduce carbon emissions from waste, energy use, agriculture, and any business with access to organic waste:

1. Waste: by converting it into less harmful forms, including reducing odors when spread on land
2. Heating: by providing hot water for heating buildings, drying crops etc
3. Electricity use: by providing renewable biogas for electricity generation
4. Agriculture: by providing biogas for use as fuel for farm machinery.
5. Any business: which creates waste organic material (biomass) or has access to it.

That’s why Anaerobic Digestion (AD) is a key part of a low-carbon emissions future, in a circular economy that turns wastes into renewable resources.

Anaerobic Digestion's in the Production of Low-carbon Methane

AD has a potentially important role to play in the production of low-carbon methane.

When biogas is upgraded (purified) the “biomethane” output could meet 30% of the UK’s domestic gas demand.

At the same time this would abate 50 million tonnes of Carbon dioxide-equivalent over the next 25 years, as well as helping to provide energy and food security.

In the past 10 years, the AD industry has grown from a capacity of 170 megawatts electrical-equivalent (MWe-e) in to 899 MWe-e today.

There are 648 AD plants across the country, producing renewable energy and natural fertilizer.

AD Growth is Mostly in Biomethane Production

AD growth is currently most notable in biomethane, where around 30 new facilities are due to connect to the gas grid within the next couple of years, on the back of a tariff incentive under the UK government's Renewable Heat Incentive.

These new facilities should add enough additional capacity to power almost 200,000 homes each year.

Production of biomethane as a transport fuel is also being facilitated by the Renewable Transport Fuel Obligation.

AD Facilities Growth in Recycling Inedible Food Waste

In addition. the number of AD facilities recycling inedible food waste is likely to grow over the next decade as more local authorities in England introduce separate food waste collections in the wake of legislation proposed in the Resources and Waste Strategy (published in Autumn 2018).

AOBA estimates that the amount of food waste diverted from landfill as a result could lead to 80 new food-waste AD facilities.

This would increase UK biogas industry Capacity by 187MWe-e (the equivalent of Fellside Power Station), reducing CHG by emissions by 1.5 million tonnes of CO2 equivalent - or 2.4 per cent.

Visit YouTube to see this video here, and to read our article go here.

Are Diesel-Engine Car Owners in a Trap Which Forces them to Continue Running Polluting Vehicles?

Many unfortunate UK owners of diesel powered cars feel they have been duped into buying them by false "green" promises about diesel vehicles. 

They think that although they never sought to contribute to city air pollution, they are trapped into continuing to run their polluting vehicles. At least, they do resolve themselves not to take action until they trade in their current vehicle, often not until several years time.

It has been commonly accepted that if you own a diesel vehicle, not by your own preference, but having been encouraged to own a diesel by the government. You are left with no alternative but continue. 

Via Wikipedia - Donald Trung Quoc Don (Chữ Hán: 徵國單) - CC BY-SA 4.0

But, the fact is that you don't have to continue! You do have an alternative to using it, as is.  

You don't need to feel vaguely uncomfortable every day "doing the school run", knowing now what we do, about the health dangers to children from tiny "particulates" in your car's exhaust, for example

Running a polluting diesel is easy to put-right, and it need not cost you in the long term. It could even save you money.

As explained in our press release below, most diesel engines can be converted to run on liquid natural gas (LNG).

Having done that, owners would preferably run them on carbon neutral bio-LNG from anaerobic digestion. But, supplies aren't universally available, whereas LNG is.

LNG conversion, essentially by adding gas storage cylinders to your vehicle, costs a couple of thousand pounds. But, you’ll soon recover that at the pump in cheaper fuel, over 12-18 months (c.10,000 miles).

Increasing numbers of LNG filling stations are being opened. Information about that is here.

This was just one of the topics featured during the recent ADBA "Global outlook for biomethane and infrastructure development" event co-located with the World Biogas Summit earlier this month.

Anaerobic Digestion and Bioresources Association - PRESS RELEASE (July 2019): 

Birmingham biogas trade event to show the way on Bio-LNG

Bristol City Mayor Martin Rees announced on Thursday last week [20 June 2019] a consultation on proposals to ban diesel cars from the city to tackle air pollution, which is now a bigger killer than tobacco and three times larger than Aids, tuberculosis and malaria combined.

The UK government has said it will ban the sale of diesel cars from 2040. It would seem that if you own a diesel, having been encouraged to own a diesel by the government, you have been left in a no-win situation.  

Not so. Most diesel engines can be converted to run on liquid natural gas (LNG) – preferably carbon neutral bio-LNG from anaerobic digestion. It will cost a couple of thousand pounds but you’ll soon recover that at the pump over 12-18 months (c.10,000 miles).

There are over 20m LNG cars in the global fleet and, for HGVs, Bio-LNG is rapidly gaining traction as fuel – as it reduces CO2 emissions by over 85%, NOx emissions by 50-70%, and almost zero particulate matter. 

It has been found that fleet operators who switch to renewable natural gas (biomethane) more than exceed what is required under the benchmark minimum standard for emissions. Fuel savings are notable too. 

With costs that are typically 33% less – and in some instances, as much as 50% less – operators can see that biogas makes commercial sense. It means that the filling-station infrastructure is emerging too.

The shift makes economic sense.  London and Norwich have been taking the lead on the introduction of what are known either as Low Emissions Zones or Clean Air Zones with another 30 cities and local authorities across the UK set to introduce similar measures.

Under these schemes buses and HGVs failing to meet minimum standards face charges for entering the zones of £200 a day. Such zones are commonplace in cities across mainland Europe.

Meanwhile biomethane as fuel for transport has been boosted by an EU directive requiring Member states to ensure a sufficient number of publicly accessible refuelling points to allow the circulation of CNG vehicles both in urban and sub-urban areas and on the TeN-T core network, ideally every 150 km, to be built by end-2025.

Furthermore, the government’s Renewable Fuel Transport Obligation has increased the biofuels volume target, including biomethane, from the current 4.75% to 9.75% in 2020, and 12.4% in 2032.

 The future of Bio-LNG will be a key theme at both UK AD and World Biogas Expo 2019 and its co-located thought-leadership forum World Biogas Summit on 3rd-4th July in Birmingham.

CNHi Industrial will display its IVECO Stralis Natural Power truck and latest FPT Industrial Natural Gas engines, whilst New Holland will showcase the innovative Methane-Powered Concept Tractor, combining visionary design with advanced and sustainable biomethane combustion, a key element in the Energy Independent Farm™ concept, which sees farmers producing fuel from waste products.

 - Press Release Ends -

Other top topics during the 2019 Biogas Summit earlier this month were:

• UK Cities ramp up the fight against air pollution
• Bio-LNG gains traction as a solution to reduce carbon emissions from vehicles
• Prototype tractor and other vehicles on display at UK AD and World Biogas Expo

More information is available on the 2020 World Biogas Summit here.

Let's Make Biogas from Straw - Rika Biogas Bioextrusion® - Anaerobic Diggestion

Why not make biogas from straw! New extrusion process makes it possible that a good feedstock can be created through the far more rapid development of anaerobic digestion of straw.

Research Sources for the Bioextrusion Process

The Bioextruder can create totally new feedstock options such as straw and desiccated grasses, or increase the biogas yield of traditional substrates such as maize or grass silage.

Depending on the solution required Rika Biogas Technologies can also specify equipment that can increase yields, speed up digestion and remove extraneous materials. These items normally sit in line with the extruder to produce a fully integrated feeding and feedstock processing solution that ultimately reduces your running costs. www.bioextruder.co.uk

Bioextrusion was Originated by LEHMANN

The Process of "Bioextrusion research and development was begun by LEHMANN®"

[Bioextrusion] leads to the formation of new bacteria stains and an improved C/N-ratio, because celluloses and hemicelluloses is decomposed and liberated from the embedding lignin layer. The 5- and 6-times sugar is faster available. Low-molecular and fast transforming substances like alcohol and other compounds develop.

The Fraunhofer institute IKTS in Dresden and LEHMANN Maschinenbau GmbH Jocketa have investigated to to what extent these difficult substrates are suitable for biogas production. via www.lehmann-maschinenbau.de

New insights into the impact of bioextrusion on biomass deconstruction using carbohydrate-binding modules

Lignocellulosic biomass is a sustainable source of renewable substrate to produce low carbon footprint energy and materials. Biomass conversion is usually performed in two steps: a biomass pretreatment for improving cellulose accessibility followed by enzymatic hydrolysis of cellulose. In this study we investigated the efficiency of a bioextrusion pretreatment (extrusion in the presence of cellulase enzyme) for production of reducing sugars from corn crop agricultural residues. Our results demonstrate that bioextrusion increased the reducing sugar conversion yield by at least 94% at high solid/liquid ratio (14%–40%). via www.sciencedirect.com

During the process the substrate is decomposed into its cell structure by a double-screw extruder with pressure with that high temperature and resulting of alternating load and multiple pressure/relaxation cycles in the machine. The biogas yield increases due to a better biochemical-availability and a strong enhanced surface area. The fiber is ideal culture medium of metabolizing bacteria.

This leads to the formation of new bacteria stains and an improved C/N-ratio, because celluloses and hemicelluloses is decomposed and liberated from the embedding lignin layer. The 5- and 6-times sugar is faster available. Low-molecular and fast transforming substances like alcohol and other compounds develop.

The sustainability and efficiency of biogas production is primarily determined by the substrate costs. It is necessary to exploit new substrates and to increase the energetic utilization ratio of the used substrates. Till now, highly lignocellulosic substrates or residues like straw or landscaping residue materials as "not used, or of limited use for biogas production".

The raw fibre is also degradable by bioextrusion. via www.energy-xprt.com

The transcription text of the video: "Let's Make Biogas from Straw" follows:

Video Transcription

Let's Make Biogas from Straw Not Field Crops.

Around 30 million tonnes of cereal straw are produced in Germany annually.

It has been estimated that 8 to 13 million tonnes of this could be used sustainably for different energetic paths of utilization.

Large quantities of straw are also produced in the UK, and throughout temperate climate regions globally.

Straw is one of the agricultural residues with the largest untapped potential for use as a biomass feed for biogas.

But, so far there has been only limited use of the energy in straw and what has been used has been based on thermal recovery, such as by pelletizing straw for domestic heating.

The disadvantages of this are the extremely large storage capacity needed for the dry material, as well as the high CO2 emissions from transport and processing.

In contrast, the use of straw in anaerobic digestion seems sensible.

The nutrients and organic matter, which was not converted into biogas in the fermentation process, are available again as a high-quality digestate after fermentation, with the resulting digestate available to sustain this as a cycle by, its use as a crop fertilizer.

But there is a problem with this. Straw has a very high content of lignocelluloses and a low portion of readily fermentable materials.

During the fermentation process, this causes very long digestion times and low biogas yield.

Also, straw tends to float in the digester, even after being shredded.

Unwanted floating layers can then easily become a mixing problem, again reducing biogas production.

While some digester mixers might be able to cope, the mixing energy used reduces the remaining energy which can be sold.

A Solution to Low Straw Biogas Yields

One German company has devised a solution which they call Bioextrusion®.

The treatment (extrusion) of the straw has 3 beneficial effects:

1 - It reduces the particle size (fibre length) for reduced viscosity and easier mixing.

2 - The lignocellulosic structure is partially destroyed and,

3 - At the same time, the absorptive capacity of the straw increases, and the floating behaviour of straw fibers inside the fermenter is much reduced.

After Bioextrusion® the straw is described as spreading almost perfectly in the operating volume of the fermenter.

The straw substrate which is modified by Bioextrusion® is then suitable for wet-fermentation in the standard CSTR process.

On arable farms, Bioextrusion® may also be used to raise biogas output from other crop residues such as maize.

Want to know more?

Visit their article about Rika Biogas Technologies at www.bioextruder.co.uk

Phone: +44 (0)1746 714 704

Text based upon pdfs at: https://www.bioextruder.co.uk/about
Also see the article about Straw as Feedstock for Biogas on our companion website here.

Ultrasound Disintegration: A Definition for Biogas Plants and WWTPs

Ultrasound Disintegration Meaning

Ultrasound Disintegration means the breakdown of biogenic sludge into minute particles by external forces.

The resulting increase in surface area causes an acceleration of the organic breakdown process, and thereby results in an increased biogas yield.

For the full article we wrote on this subject visit: https://anaerobic-digestion.com/how-ultrasonic-disintegration-of-sewage-sludge/

In addition, the release of exo-enzymes from the external cell layer increases the enzyme activity in the digester.

In ultrasonic disintegration, the electrical oscillations created by a generator are transformed by a converter (sonic transducer) into mechanical vibrations.

These vibrations are transferred into the surrounding medium by means of a device known as a sonotrode.

Following the rhythm of the ultrasonic frequency, they cause high alternating positive and negative pressure phases, depending on whether the oscillator is expanding or contracting at the time.

During the negative pressure phase, microscopical cavities are formed in the liquid exposed to the ultrasonics; these then collapse in the subsequent positive pressure phase. This process is known as cavitation.

From the implosion, which releases high pressures and temperatures, strong impact and shear forces occur in the area immediately around the cavities, and these cause the surrounding micro-organisms to disintegrate.

Text Source: MCC Process Technology

For more information visit www.mccprotec.com

Watch this video on YouTube here: https://youtu.be/E1z_4_aW9Rc

Working of a Biogas Plant - Wet AD Biodigesters Features Advantages and ...

Wet Process Biodigesters Explained with Pros and Cons

We went back to basics to explain how biodigesters work and their benefits and problems in this video and in the article below. We hope you find it a useful combination of video presentation and reading material.

Introduction

 Biodigesters use the decomposition of organic matter in anaerobic conditions to facilitate the extraction of the resulting biogas for use as energy.

The biodigester has an entrance for the organic material, a space for its decomposition, an outlet with control valve for the gas (biogas), and an outlet for the material already processed (digestate).

Necessary conditions for biodigestion 

Temperature is very important for the production of biogas, since the microorganisms that carry out biodigestion reduce their activity outside these temperatures.

The temperature in the digestive chamber must be between 20º C and 60º C. To optimize the production time it is desirable to maintain a temperature between 30º C and 35º C.

The level of acidity determines how the fermentation of the organic material unfolds.

The pH of the material must have a value between 6.5 and 7.5.

Being outside this neutral range, organic matter runs the risk of rotting, as the relative activity of the wrong microorganisms increases. This usually produces a very unpleasant odor.

The container must be perfectly sealed to prevent oxygen from entering and thus have an adequate airtight seal.

The most commonly used materials to produce biogas are  manure, from cows, horses, pigs and human sources.

However, almost all organic materials can also be used.

To achieve efficient decomposition, the organic matter must be in digestible sizes, because as ageneral rule, the faster the production of biogas the smaller the particle size.

The organic matter fed into the biogas plant must at all times have a balance of carbon and nitrogen.

Structure of a biodigester

There are many variations in the design of the biodigester.

Some elements that are commonly incorporated are:

Fermentation Chamber: The space where biomass is stored during the decomposition process.
Gas storage chamber: The space where the biogas accumulates before being extracted.

Loading point for adjusting the particle size and a funnel for adjustment of the water content: This is the entrance where the biomass is added to the digester tank (biodigester).

Pile of discharge: The output, serves to remove waste that is spent and are no longer useful for biogas, but can be used as fertilizer (digestate).

Agitator: Displace the residues that are in the bottom-up of the biodigester to take advantage of all the biomass.

Gas pipe: The output of biogas. It can be connected directly to a stove or it can be transported by means of the same pipe to its place of use.

Advantages of Biodigesters 

The anaerobic digestion process or fermentation process which takes place in all biodigesters is a renewable and sustainable energy source. Taking advantage of the natural production of biogas reduces the need to use non-renewable energy. This in turn helps reduce climate change, by minimizing the output of greenhouse gases.

It is possible to use secondary products as fertilizer or fertilizer. It avoids the use of local firewood, thus reducing the pressure on forest resources. Encourages sustainable development. Redirect and take advantage of the greenhouse gases produced by landfills and industrial farms, which reduces the carbon footprint of these establishments and decreases their contribution to climate change.

It can help governments comply with national and international responsibilities to reduce the emission of carbon into the earth's atmosphere.

It prevents the contamination of aquifers.

Creates specialized jobs.

Creates the possibility of farmers and many other businesses that end-up creating a lot of organic waste matter (biomass) developing a cutting-edge and sustainable "green" project.

Disadvantages, risks and special considerations 

Ideally, the location should be close to where the biomass is collected.

The temperature of the digestion chamber must be maintained between 20º C and 60º C; Creating such temperatures may limit its use in cold places.

Biogas contains a byproduct called hydrogen sulfate, which is a corrosive and toxic gas for humans.

As with any other combustible gas, there is a risk of explosion or fire due to malfunction, maintenance or safety.

Biogas contains varying amounts of a byproduct called hydrogen sulfide, which is a corrosive and toxic gas at even very low concentrations for humans.

As with any other combustible gas, there is a risk of explosion or fire due to malfunction, maintenance or safety.

Source: Aboutespanol

Other names for a biodigester are: Anaerobic digester, anaerobic reactor, biological reactor.

Juan Gonzalo Angel Restrepo www.tvagro.tv

Creative Commons video footage used.

CCC Net Zero Report - The United Kingdom Anaerobic Digestion Industry Re...

ADBA Press Release:

United Kingdom AD Industry Responds to CCC Net Zero Report

Responding to the publication of the Committee on Climate Change's (CCC's) new report calling for the UK to set a net-zero target for 2050, Charlotte Morton, Chief Executive of the Anaerobic Digestion & Bioresources Association, said:

"The UK's anaerobic digestion (AD) industry fully supports the Committee on Climate Change's call for net zero emissions by 2050, which is a vital target to ensure we avoid the worst effects of climate change. 

"By converting organic wastes and crops into renewable heat and power, clean transport fuel, and soil-restoring natural fertiliser, AD has already reduced the UK's greenhouse gas emissions by 1% and has the potential to reduce them by as much as 5% if the industry meets its full potential. Crucially, AD reduces emissions from hard-to-decarbonise sectors such as heat, transport, and agriculture, as well as from the power sector and from waste. 

"As a technology-ready solution that can tackle climate change right across the economy, it's vital that government recognises and rewards the many benefits of AD so it can make the maximum contribution to decarbonisation at speed and scale. 

"We therefore also support the CCC's call for a new regulatory and support framework for low-carbon heating (where biomethane from AD can make an important contribution) to address the current million-pound funding gap." 

PR Ends

---

Reactions Across the Web to the CCC Net Zero Report

There has been a welcome response from numerous groups to the CCC’s report with the top-line call for the immediate enshrining into law of a national net-zero by 2050 target to be put forward by the government.
However, the report does also note that some home nations are currently better equipped to deliver more rapid decarbonisation than others. Scotland, for example, is encouraged by the CCC to target net-zero emissions by 2045 – due to a greater potential to depollute its economy compared to the rest of the UK – whereas Wales should target a 95% reduction in emissions by 2050 (from the same 1990 baseline).

#climaterush #EarthDay #ClimateAction #GreenWave

Call for CfD Scheme for Small Scale Anaerobic Digestion in the UK

Renewable Energy CfD Scheme Call 

Small-Scale UK Renewable Energy CfD Scheme Called for.

On the day that the UK didn’t leave Europe, trade association ADBA called for Contracts for Difference (CfD) scheme for Small-scale Renewable Energy including biogas.


ADBA also calls for AD not to be excluded from future CfD auctions.


The trade body for the UK’s anaerobic digestion industry calls on the government to introduce a bespoke low-carbon Contracts for Difference scheme to support small-scale renewable technologies.


ADBA did this on 29 March 2019, the day the Feed-In Tariff subsidy was ended by the UK government.


AD plants generate renewable electricity, heat, and natural fertilizer by treating organic wastes and energy crops. They also offer a range of other benefits including greenhouse gas mitigation from avoided waste emissions, income diversification for farmers, and energy and fertilizer supply security.


The UK’s AD industry currently has the capacity to power 1.2 million households, offering flexible, baseload power, but has the potential to generate far more, with the right support.

To ensure it can compete with other generation technologies, AD must therefore no longer be excluded from applying to future CfD auctions.

“Beyond this levelling of the playing field with the big generators, they are calling on the government to develop a bespoke, small-scale, low-carbon CfD auction mechanism to encourage competition in the small-scale sector and recognize the additionality that AD can provide in the form of greenhouse gas mitigation, agricultural diversification, and energy and food security.


Based Upon: ADBA Press Release.

Biogas Plant in Balcony, Indian Man Slashes LPG Bill by Half! and More!

Recently we wrote a report about the state of anaerobic digestion plant and biogas development in India. We noted that at national government level there was very little indication of any top-level awareness of the great potential for the betterment in India, available from biogas technology.

We said that this was disappointing because once India led in biogas. The was a growing number of small rural biogas plants and its production was having many spin-off advantages.

The same is not true in some parts of India where a number of people are developing their own biogas plant systems and helping those around them to join in with the advantages of anaerobic digestion. This, we think you will agree is amply demonstrated in the following article extracts:

1 - Jharkhand Man Installs Biogas Plant in Balcony, Slashes LPG Bill by Half!

Able to serve a family for four years, the entire portable structure cost him less than Rs 10,000 and took a few hours to assemble. No wonder he is the talk of his neighbourhood now!

Almost 160 years ago, the first successful biogas generation plant was established in Mumbai, India. Since then, approximately five million biogas plants cater to domestic needs like water heating and cooking.

Contrary to this, various countries, especially Germany, have been efficiently harnessing its benefits in other sectors.

“Having been the forerunners, we should have led ahead of all in ushering the biogas revolution, not the European countries like Germany, that have become forerunners of biogas utilisation, both in domestic and public spheres,” said a senior corporate executive, while speaking to The Better India.

Based in Jamshedpur, this executive, Gaurav Anand, has led the movement by becoming the first man in the steel city to build a biogas plant small enough to fit into his apartment’s balcony!

Photo Source: Tatasphere

Not only has it slashed his monthly expenditure on LPG, but has also rewarded him with rich slurry compost that makes his garden bloom.  via Jharkha

2 - Patna Girl Builds Biogas Plants, Provides Electricity to Poor Farmers!

City born and bred she may be, yet Akansha Singh was aware of the economic and social inequalities that exist within India. But it wasn’t until she got to the ground and observed first-hand did she realise the scale of the issue.

After completing her Masters in Social Entrepreneurship from the Tata Institute of Social Sciences (TISS) in 2014, Akansha had set out to Jhabua district in Madhya Pradesh as part of an internship.

She was 24 at the time.

“That was a devastating eye-opener for me. The two weeks that I was there, I observed no households had toilets neither did they have any proper power supply. Which meant, the women had to cook food before nightfall as their farmer husbands finished their farming activities by that time. One thing that had particularly affected me was that these families consumed their meals cold because they had to finish preparing dinner while there was still natural light,” says Akansha to The Better India.

During this period, she noticed many social and environmental issues in the region. The women were still cooking using cow dung cakes, and the entire family was inhaling hazardous smoke regularly.

Finally, after months of convincing and explaining to them the many benefits of the project, the villagers yielded, and Akansha began looking for land to build the plant.

“Fortunately, a person from another community volunteered and donated a patch of land for the project. It is remarkable as caste system is much prevalent in the region, but this kind individual wanted the underprivileged community to lead better and empowered lives. From there, our journey started,” she says.

Today, they have two biogas plants in Samastipur; one with 2-hour bioelectricity capacity while the other supplies power for four hours.

Swayambhu received its initial funding from DBS Bank, Singapore. Her project was also aided partly by the beneficiaries and mostly by both government and non-government agencies.

“There has been a visible change in these areas. After seeing how electricity has brightened up their lives, the beneficiaries have become truly committed to the cause and pay charges without fail. Also, ever since they have ditched chemical pesticides and fertilisers for the organic manure from the plant, they have been saving a considerable amount of money as well as observed better yield. Our solution has impacted in multiple folds,” 

Akansha adds.

In addition to community biogas plants, they have also worked on individual plants for bioelectricity, including one in collaboration with students of IIT Patna.

Completion of a biogas plant.

via Electricity to Poor Farmers!

A Biogas Startup By An IIT-Bombay Alumnus Aims To Fight Air Pollution And Manage Waste

New Delhi: 34-year-old Priyadarshan Sahasrabuddhe, a Pune based engineer is trying to provide a solution for two of the biggest environmental problems facing India – air pollution and burgeoning waste pile ups. 

The IIT-Bombay alumnus has launched a technology to produce cooking gas fuel by repurposing the organic-waste produced in the kitchen and at the same time reducing the dependence on fossil fuels. In 2017 he created ‘Vaayu’, a biofuel plant that can be easily installed at homes to convert carbohydrates from organic waste into methane gas which can be used for cooking and heating purposes.

“I was working at my parent’s firm about two years ago and I noticed that every day after lunch, a lot of leftover food used to end up in the garbage bins. Watching all that food go waste, I thought of trying composting to manage that waste. But it was not enough. On researching more, I came to know about biofuels. I found that not only will it help in managing organic waste, it will also help in reducing our dependence on non-renewable sources like LPG,” 

said Mr. Sahasrabuddhe.

Also Read: Mumbai Civic Body Produces Cooking Gas From Waste For Its Canteen In N-Ward

“Waste segregation is the key here. Initially, when I started advocating for green living, I used to go to each house in my locality every morning to ask them to segregate their waste. There were days when I myself used to pick organic waste from the nearby garbage dumps. But gradually when my neighbours started to understand ‘Vaayu’, they started segregating and I get almost 8- 10 kgs of organic waste at my doorstep every day,” 

said the engineer turned innovator.

After a long period of testing of the device at his home and reducing his dependence on LPG to a significant extent, Mr. Sahasrabuddhe pushed others in his family, neighbours, and friends to start using this innovation. Till date his startup has done 135 installations in Pune, Sangli, Aurangabad, Umarkhed (District Yavatmal), Palghar, Nashik and Hyderabad. These installations together are managing up to two tons of food waste per day and saving about 900 LPG cylinders worth fuel per year.

How Does ‘Vaayu’ Work?

‘Vaayu’ is a domestic bio-gas machine which can be installed in the house, in the gallery, on the terrace or in the garden. The apparatus is fuelled by the waste generated in the kitchen which gets broken down by bacterial action known as Anaerobic Bacterial Digestion. Through this process, the carbon dioxide captured inside the organic waste during photosynthesis is divided into methane gas and liquid. The gas is stored in the balloon kind of a structure called the cylinder which is connected to the stovepipe. The cooking experience is exactly the same as that of a regular LPG or piped CNG (Compressed Natural Gas). The slurry generated in this process is high on nutrients and can be utilised as manure for the plants in the house.

The regular size ‘Vaayu’ has a container of two kg capacity in which the organic waste is put. A single two kg container, ‘Vaayu’ produces 200 litres of biogas within 24 hours which is 40 minutes of cooking gas per day saving up to three LPG cylinders per year. The capacity of the device can be increased by adding the containers.

The device requires cleaning up once in six months. The solid undigested material removed is fibrous and can be taken back to the garden as manure. Currently, the cost of installing ‘Vaayu’ is Rs. 20,000 but the operating cost is zero. There is no need of power to run ‘Vaayu’ as it operates on its own. Mr. Sahasrabuddhe is still working to improve the technology to make if more affordable.

Mr. Sahasrabuddhe has also started an informal community of like-minded nature enthusiasts who come up with innovative solutions and want to share them with others. The community, ‘Vaayu Mitra’, provides biofuel solutions according to the number of people residing in a house and encourage them to adopt a greener lifestyle. He says,

In my society, everyone segregates their own waste now. I and my friends are working also with waste collectors and are training them to operate biogas plants so that they become energy suppliers too. This increased value will help them earn better remuneration. via Waste Warriors

If you know of any further examples like these in India, please provide details by leaving a comment.