Possible Objectives when Planning an Anaerobic Digestion Project

The following list of Anaerobic Treatment objectives is not necessarily comprehensive, and will no doubt be extended over time.

i.      To provide a farm waste regulations compliant, sustainable, and cost effective method of disposal of organic farm wastes (in the UK, and many other EU Countries, the national waste management regulations have recently been extended to cover farm waste so this objective is.

ii.      Ditto, for Municipal Solid Waste, with compliance in accordance with Waste Management Regulations and PPC Permit requirements, and other organic wastes including pre-sorted or kerbside collected and segregated MSW

iii.      To treat, clean source separated organic waste from households, restaurants and other enterprises, in an environmentally correct manner

iv.      To provide a sustainable and cost effective method of disposing of ABPR waste materials

v.      To reduce carbon emissions, and carbon levies payable associated with a business

vi.      To establish a sustainable circulation of plant nutrients and organic material between the community and the agricultural sector in such as way that the use of the residual is optimised

vii.      To provide a cost effective system for production of biogas vehicle fuel

viii.      To extract biogas and plant nutrients from ley crops, thus assisting the UK government in achieving targets in achieving the recently increased non-renewable energy production targets

ix.      To contribute to an environmentally adapted and sustainable form of farming

x.      To provide opportunities for studies regarding the long term effects of cultivation through the recycling of organic matter involving ley crops and fertilising with the liquid and fibrous AD Plant effluent (digestion residuals)

xi.      To provide opportunities for the reduction or elimination of the use of artificial fertiliser (ie to promote organic farming)

xii.      To provide a local centre of excellence in these technologies for wider dissemination into the community to enable the county to fully participate or even lead in the adoption of these clean technologies and to generate jobs, new businesses, and wealth locally from the expertise created

xiii.      To extract and use high grade bio-energy from waste and normal farm crops, with no net contribution to the atmosphere

xiv.      To promote and develop high efficiency energy processes

xv.       To remove odours generated from present systems

xvi.      To reduce risk of water pollution from current practices, and generally reduce emissions of enteric organisms into watercourses. (Enviros and Scottish Executive work resulting in installation of 8 No. on-farm AD Digestors in the Dumfries and Galloway region was for this purpose.)

xvii.      To reduce materials sent to landfill/assist the government in complying with the EU landfill directive’s targets for diversion of waste (especially organic) away from landfill

xviii.      To reduce overall methane emissions produced by livestock due to methane emitted by livestock digestion. (In California this is seen as high priority, and the proportion of total national methane generated by livestock is surprisingly high.)

xix.      Any more envisaged?  Contact Us and we’ll publish reasonable additional AD Plant Objectives for you.