Hundreds of million tonnes of agricultural and food waste are produced each year around the world, most of which is just that, waste. Anaerobic digestion, biogas and the heat and electricity that can be produced from it is still a nascent industry in many countries, yet the benefits of AD spread throughout the community: Gives good financial returns to farmers and eco-entrepreneurs. Helps community leaders meet various policies and legislative targets. Offers an environmentally sensitive waste disposal option. Provides a local heat and power supply, & creates employment opportunities Reduces greenhouse gas emissions, as well as providing an organic fertilizer. Although the process of AD itself is relatively simple there are several system options available to meet the demands of different feedstocks. This book describes, in simple, easy to read language the five common systems of AD; how they work, the impact of scale, the basic requirements, the costs and financial implications, and how to get involved in this rapidly growing green industry.

Interest in anaerobic digestion (AD), the process of energy production through the production of biogas, has increased rapidly in recent years. Agricultural and other organic waste are important substrates that can be treated by AD. This book is one of the first to provide a broad introduction to anaerobic digestion and its potential to turn agricultural crops or crop residues, animal and other organic waste, into biomethane. The substrates used can include any non-woody materials, including grass and maize silage, seaweeds, municipal and industrial wastes. These are all systematically reviewed in terms of their suitability from a biological, technical and economic perspective. In the past the technical competence and high capital investment required for industrial-scale anaerobic digesters has limited their uptake, but the authors show that recent advances have made smaller-scale systems more viable through a greater understanding of optimising bacterial metabolism and productivity. Broader issues such as life cycle assessment and energy policies to promote AD are also discussed.

This book focuses on biogas production by anaerobic digestion, which is the most popular bioenergy technology of today. Using anaerobic digestion for the production of biogas is a sustainable approach that simultaneously also allows the treatment of organic waste. The energy contained in the substrate is released in the form of biogas, which can be employed as a renewable fuel in diverse industrial sectors. Although biogas generation is considered an established process, it continues to evolve, e.g. by incorporating modifications and improvements to increase its efficiency and its downstream applications. The chapters of this book review the progress made related to feedstock, system configuration and operational conditions. It also addresses microbial pathways utilized, as well as storage, transportation and usage of biogas. This book is an up-to-date resource for scientists and students working on improving biogas production.

With increasing pressures to utilize wastes effectively and sustainably, biogas production represents one of the most important routes towards reaching renewable energy targets. This comprehensive reference on the development and deployment of biogas supply chains and technology reviews the role of biogas in the energy mix and outlines the range of biomass and waste resources for biogas production. Contributors provide detailed coverage of anaerobic digestion for the production of biogas and review the utilization of biogas for various applications. They consider all aspects in the biogas production chain from the origin of the biomass feedstocks, feedstock selection and preparation, the anaerobic digestion process, biogas plant equipment design and operation, through to utilization of the biogas for energy production and the residue, the digestate, which can be used as a biofertilizer. The book also addresses biogas utilization, and explores environmental impacts and commercial market applications. Table of Contents: Biogas as an energy option: An overview Part 1 Biomass resources, feedstock treatment and biogas production: Biomass resources for biogas production; Analysis and characterisation of biogas feedstocks; Storage and pre-treatment of substrates for biogas production; Fundamental science and engineering of the anaerobic digestion process for biogas production; Optimisation of biogas yields from anaerobic digestion by feedstock type; Anaerobic digestion as a key technology for biomass valorisation: Roles and contribution to the energy balance of biofuel chains Part 2 Plant design, engineering, process optimisation and digestate utilization: Design and engineering of biogas plants; Energy flows in biogas plants: Analysis and implications for plant design; Process control in biogas plants; Methane emissions in biogas production; Biogas digestate quality and utilization; Land application of digestate Part 3 Biogas utilisation: international experience and best practice: Biogas cleaning; Biogas up-grading to biomethane; Biomethane injection into natural gas networks; Generation of heat and power from biogas for stationery applications: Boilers, gas engines and turbines, combined heat and power (CHP) plants and fuel cells; Biomethane for transport applications; Market development and certification schemes for biomethane

Anaerobic digestion (AD) is by far the most important technology for providing clean renewable energy to millions in rural areas of many developing countries. AD of biowastes produces both biomethane and anaerobic digestate as a byproduct that can be used further as a biofertilizer. Biowastes including sewage, food processing wastes, animal wastes, and lignocellulosic wastes typically produce biogas containing 55%–70% biomethane. In the context of energy consumption, more than 85% of the total energy consumed currently comes from non-renewable fossil resources. Biogas technology can provide sustainable, affordable, and eco-friendly energy through waste recycling. This book provides basic knowledge and recent research on biogas production, focusing on the enhancement of biomethane and production routes integrated with microalgae cultivation or agriculture.

This open access book on straw management aims to provide a wide array of options for rice straw management that are potentially more sustainable, environmental, and profitable compared to current practice. The book is authored by expert researchers, engineers and innovators working on a range of straw management options with case studies from Vietnam, the Philippines and Cambodia. The book is written for engineers and researchers in order to provide them information on current good practice and the gaps and constraints that require further research and innovation. The book is also aimed at extension workers and farmers to help them decide on the best alternative straw management options in their area by presenting both the technological options as well as the value chains and business models required to make them work. The book will also be useful for policy makers, required by public opinion to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and air pollution, looking for research-based evidence to guide the policies they develop and implement.

The combination of rising energy consumption in the U.S. and sustained growth of developing countries has made clear the importance of developing an energy source that is renewable and minimizes greenhouse gas emissions. The use of algae as an energy source can satisfy both of these criteria, but the current focus on developing it as a biofuel requires a significant amount of energy input, making it not yet economically feasible. This research combines a promising energy source with a decades-old wastewater treatment technology to generate biogas by combining the anaerobic digestion of algae and wastewater sludge. Bench-scale anaerobic digesters were setup with various proportions of the microalgae Scenedesmus quadricuada and thickened waste activated sludge (TWAS) and their biogas production was evaluated. In addition, the effects of operational parameters, such as temperature and alkalinity, on biogas production and residual characteristics were investigated. Biogas production for the various algae and TWAS combinations ranged from 0.46 to 0.72 mL per mg of volatile solids (VS) digested, while VS and chemical oxygen demand (COD) were reduced on average, 47 and 50%, respectively, at 35°C. Total coliform (TC) and fecal coliform (FC) concentrations saw at least a one log reduction after digestion, allowing the digestant to meet the USEPA requirements for classification as a Class B biosolid and its use in certain land applications. The digestant had nitrogen and phosphorous levels in the range of 5 to 19% as N and 5 to 15% as P, respectively, putting it in the range of commercial fertilizer levels. It was also determined that decreasing digestion temperatures from 35°C produced significantly less biogas, while adjusting the amount of initial alkalinity in digesters did not have a significant effect on biogas production. From these results, anaerobically digesting algae along with wastewater sludge can be utilized as a feasible method to harness the energy potential of algae. Although some of this potential remains locked up in the undigested portion, its synergy with wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) cannot be overstated. Growing algae using existing waste streams at WWTPs such as CO2 and effluent wastewater highlights this technology's ability to transform waste into a valuable commodity without enormous new infrastructure investment..

This book highlights the current limitations of biogas production and yield and new avenues to improving them. Biogas production and yield are among the most important renewable energy targets for our world. Pursuing an innovative and biotechnological approach, the book presents alternative sources for biogas production and explores a broad range of aspects, including: pre-treatment of substrates, accelerators (enzyme-mediated) and inhibitors involved in the process of obtaining biogas and its yield, design specifications for digesters/modified digesters, managing biogas plants, microbial risk and slurry management, energy balance and positive climatic impacts of the biogas production chain, and the impacts on Human, Animal and Environmental Health (“One Health” concept for the biogas chain).

The global demand for energy is met mainly by fossil fuels. Their excessive and indiscriminate use, coupled with increasing demand for energy, will soon deplete their existing reserves. Therefore, it is extremely important to find alternative, environment-friendly, and ecologically sound sources of energy for meeting the present and future energy requirements. Biogas Technology: Towards Sustainable Development makes an attempt to explore the potential of utilizing biodegradable biomass as fuel and manure.

Anaerobic digestion of the organic fraction of municipal solid waste as such or together with food waste, press water or patatoes sludge was investigated to equilibrate methane production within a day or over the weekend, when no OFMSW was available. A stable co-digestion process could be achieved with COD degradation between 60 and 80 %. The max. organic loading rates were 28 kg COD/L, d. For stable methane production the OLR during Co-digestion should not excede 22,5 kg/L,