Sharing Practical Experiences In Anaerobic Digestion

Encouraged partly by the escalation in fuel costs, Water Companies have driven a programme of research and development that has transformed anaerobic digestion of sewage sludge. Offering the potential to treat organic waste, especially food waste, diverted from landfill and in return produce renewable energy in the form of biogas that can be used for heat, power and fuel. Modern anaerobic treatment plants may involve waste pretreatment followed by phase separation in multi-digester arrays, with the energy from the biogas exploited by CHP schemes. 

At the same time the waste industry is growing rapidly in its take up of anaerobic digestion for waste biological treatment. Biological treatment in this form is classified as recycling when the digestate (usually as compost) the production of growing media, and the production the production of biogas is seen as energy recovery. 

The approach of the two industries to application of anaerobic digestion is very different, despite the fact the feedstocks have more in common than differences. There is in fact much common ground and digester principles such as pre-treatment, feedstock rheology and composition and digester mixing regimes between the different waste streams. In addition potential future issues such as co-digestion of mixed waste streams, digestate treatment that offers the potential to provide organic fertiliser and soil conditioner, nutrient recovery from the liquid stream and the most beneficial uses for biogas, deserve a common solution. The conference will :

• describe the present environment for application of anaerobic digestion technology outlining the potential advantages whilst highlighting potential legal hurdles
• summarise Water Company experiences and operating practices gained from 100 years of sludge digestion
• summarise the more recent experiences of the Waste industry applying AD technology to solid waste streams
• discuss potential common ground such as pre-treatment, co-digestion, digester design and operation, digestate treatment and nutrient recovery
• consider optimal uses for biogas

Confirmed Speakers include Chris Hatton, Viridor Waste Management; Nina Sweet, WRAP

Aiden Cumiskey, Monsal; Paul Fountain, Thames Water and Peter Olsen, SEPA.

If you are interested in either speaking, sponsoring or exhibiting at this conference, there still are openings.

What a great conference! Across the pond, we are doing lots of exciting things with anaerobic digestion. We would love to make contact! Check us out at http://blog.harvestpower.com Britain has really stepped up the focus on AD in the past year, and we hope to replicate your enthusiasm and success! Ashley - 25/01/2010 - 18:44