Anaerobic Digestion
Anaerobic Digestion (AD) is the accelerated breakdown of organic material in a low Oxygen environment. An AD plant is essentially a large artificial stomach. The products are:
- Energy rich biogas
- Bio-fertiliser
- Soil conditioner
- Biomass
There is a “perfect storm” brewing in the UK, Europe and the wider world:
- Rising energy costs and peak oil
- Escalating costs in waste management and disposal
- Global climate change and the drive to reduce CO2 emissions
- Increasing costs and diminishing returns in agriculture
- Starving soils, leaching of nutrients, eutrophication and erosion
Small scale local Anaerobic Digestion (AD) facilities could help to:
- Produce low cost renewable energy
- Reduce transport and processing/disposal costs in the waste management industry
- Significantly reduce CO2 emissions
- Provide a significant diversification income for farmers
- Produce a high Organic Matter soil conditioner and valuable bio-fertiliser
Essentially AD can help to return the human food chain to the food cycle