Fact Sheet

mar 2010

AnAerobic digestion

index

Fact Sheet mar 2010

1. descriPtion oF tecHnoLogY 2. cUrrent distribUtion And ProsPectiVe oF tecHnoLogY 3. LegAL FrAMeWorK 4. AnAerobic digestion And bioPLAstics: stAndArds, certiFicAtion And LAbeLLing 5. interActions betWeen bioPLAstics And tecHnoLogY 6. beneFits And cHALLenges 6.1 6.2 Benefits Challenges

7. sUccessFUL cAses 8. Annex - reFerences; LinKs etc.

Fact Sheet mar 2010

1. descriPtion oF tecHnoLogY
Within biological solid waste treatment, a distinction can be made between two major categories: one being aerobic composting and the other one being anaerobic digestion or biogasification. In composting, organic matter is degraded by a microbial population consisting of bacteria and fungi consuming oxygen and producing CO2, water, compost or humus and a lot of heat (exothermic). Because of the heat production, the temperature in a composting pile increases significantly. In anaerobic digestion, organic matter is degraded by a microbial population consisting of bacteria in the absence of oxygen and producing methane and carbon dioxide (= biogas) and compost without practically any exothermic heat. The biogas can be treated in a Combined Heat and Power Plant (CHP), producing electricity and heat, or can be upgraded to bio-methane. Typically out of 1 ton of biowaste, 120 m3 of biogas can be produced with a total electricity yield of 250 kWh and a net electricity yield of 200 kWh. Rather different technologies can be distinguished in anaerobic digestion. One distinction between different technologies is the temperature at which the anaerobic digestion is operated. Temperature is externally controlled, and digesters are run either at mesophilic temperature (35-40C), or at thermophilic temperature (50-55C). These are two distinct temperature zones at which different types of anaerobic bacteria show maximum activity (respectively mesophilic and thermophilic bacteria). The rate of activity is higher at thermophilic temperature. Further, anaerobic digestion processes can be 1-phase or 2-phase. In 1-phase, the complete digestion is taking place in one unit or digester. In 2-phase fermentation, the first hydrolysis and acidification phase and the subsequent methanogenic phase are run in separate tanks. In dry anaerobic digestion, the process is run at a moisture content <85%, while in wet systems, the process is run at a moisture >85%. Practically all commercial anaerobic digestion systems consist of a first step of anaerobic fermentation, followed by an aerobic composting, stabilisation second step. Since fermentation is a kind of mixed process, the output is not fully stabilised or fermented. In order to reduce the residual biological activity and to obtain complete maturity of the compost end product, the residue from the anaerobic digestion phase is therefore aerobically composted. Anaerobic digestion is particularly suited for organic waste with a high moisture content such as kitchen waste and food waste, although it can be used for various different types of waste streams. Anaerobic digestion plants have been built and have been operational for many years for the treatment of mixed, municipal solid waste, for biowaste (obtained after source separated waste collection), for residual waste and for many types of industrial waste. Anaerobic digestion is often the preferred biological waste treatment option in densely populated areas such as big cities or countries like Japan or Korea. This is due to good odour production control and a reduced need for surface area. Recently, anaerobic digestion has also become an important player in the area of renewable energy production out of energy crops (e.g. corn). The net energy yield per hectare is higher compared to the production of bio-diesel or bio-ethanol. Also in bio-refineries, anaerobic digestion could play an important role with high-value plant parts being used for green chemistry and residual vegetal matter (after processing or low-value plant parts) being treated in anaerobic digestion for the production of energy and compost.

Fact Sheet mar 2010

2. cUrrent distribUtion And ProsPectiVe oF tecHnoLogY

Figure 1 below gives an overview of the development of digestion capacity in Europe in the last two decades. From three plants in Europe with a total capacity of 87,000 tons per year in 1990, anaerobic digestion capacity in Europe has grown to a total of 171 plants and a digestion capacity of more than 5 million tons per year in 2010. Figure 2 gives an overview of the digestion capacity in different European countries. Both the total capacity as well as the average capacity per plant in a given country is displayed. As can be seen, some countries tend to have smaller plants (e.g. Germany, Switzerland, Austria), while others have larger installations (e.g. Spain, France). Figure 3 gives an overview of the evolution and ratio of respectively mesophilic and thermophilic digestion capacity in Europe. About one third of the capacity is thermophilic, whereas two thirds are mesophilic. Figure 4 gives an overview of the evolution and ratio of respectively wet and dry digestion capacity in Europe. The ratio is about 50/50 with a slight dominance for dry systems. Figure 5 gives an overview of the evolution and ratio of respectively 1-phase and 2-phase digestion capacity in Europe. As can be seen, the vast majority is 1-phase. Digestion capacity in Europe is increasing rapidly. Many digesters are being built in Mediterranean countries such as Spain and France. Most plants are dry and 1-phase, and run at mesophilic temperature. The evolution for the next years can be deducted from the various graphs below, the data of which are based on the bids for proposals published in the European Journal.

FIGuRE 1. EvOluTIOn OF DIGESTIOn CAPACITy In EuROPE (Eu + EFTA COunTRIES) (WITH TPA = TOnES PER AnnuM)

1.600 Total Capacity 1.400 Average Capacity

80.000

70.000

1.200

60.000

Installed Capacity (kTon/y)

1.000

50.000

800

40.000

600

30.000

400

20.000

200

10.000

Ger

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Ital

NL

UK Sw

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FIGuRE 2. DIGESTIOn CAPACITy In vARIOuS EuROPEAn COunTRIES (2010) In TOnS PER yEAR

Fact Sheet mar 2010

4.000 Meso 3.500 Thermo % Meso % Thermo 100% 90% 80% 3.000 70% Cumulative (kTon/y) 2.500 60% 50% 40% 30% 1.000 20% 500 10% 0

2.000

1.500

0 9 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 1 199 199 199 199 199 199 199 199 199 199 200 200 200 200 200 200 200 200 200 200 201 201 >200 till
FIGuRE 3. EvOluTIOn AnD RATIO OF MESOPHIlIC AnD THERMOPHIlIC DIGESTIOn CAPACITy

3.500 Wet 3.000 Dry % Wet % Dry

70%

60%

2.500 Cumulative (kTon/y)

50%

2.000

40%

1.500

30%

1.000

20%

500

10%

0%

till

0 199

1 199

2 199

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0 200

1 200

2 200

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0 201

FIGuRE 4. EvOluTIOn AnD RATIO OF WET AnD DRy DIGESTIOn CAPACITy

Fact Sheet mar 2010

5.000 One Cumulative 4.500 Two Cumulative % One % Two 90% 100%

4.000

80%

3.500

70%

Cumulative (kTon/y)

3.000

60%

2.500

50%

2.000

40%

1.500

30%

1.000

20%

500

10%

0%

til

90 l 19

1 199

2 199

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9 199

0 200

1 200

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FIGuRE 5. EvOluTIOn AnD RATIO OF 1-PHASE AnD 2-PHASE DIGESTIOn CAPACITy

3. LegAL And PoLiticAL FrAMeWorK

Information on availability of technology in general and in different countries can be found in chapter 2. With regard to favourable legislation, the situation is identical to that for aerobic composting and the acceptance of compostable packaging in biowaste. In most countries authorities are not allowing the addition of compostable packaging or products to biowaste which is significantly hindering the breakthrough of bioplastics. Only in The netherlands the addition is allowed.

Fact Sheet mar 2010

4. AnAerobic digestion And bioPLAstics: stAndArds, certiFicAtion And LAbeLLing

The normative benchmark for the organic recovery of packaging and bioplastics in Europe is represented by the European harmonized standard En 13432 "Packaging - Requirements for packaging recoverable through composting and biodegradation - Test scheme and evaluation criteria for the final acceptance of packaging". This standard aims "to determine the compostability and anaerobic treatability of packaging and packaging materials".1 According to the En 13432, "compost is not only the final product of the aerobic composting process but also the aerobically stabilized product of the anaerobic biogasification process".2 In practice, the focus is on the production of a final compost, free of contaminants. This can be obtained thanks to two steps: a first anaerobic phase followed by an aerobic phase, needed to stabilise the anaerobic sludge. The En 13432 does not focus on the recovery yield of the packaging as biogas. However, the anaerobic biodegradation can be estimated with specific standards (e.g. ISO 11734, ISO 14853, ISO 15985, Ecetoc #28, ASTM D.5210-92, ASTM D.5511-02, ASTM D.5526-94). In the En 13432, a note can be found: anaerobic biodegradation and disintegration can be verified as an option (not mandatory). For biodegradation, 50% is required after 2 months as anaerobic fermentation is followed by aerobic composting, during which biodegradation can further continue. With regard to disintegration, the standard requires that after 5 weeks of combined anaerobic and aerobic treatment at most 10% of the original sample may remain after sieving over 2mm mesh size. no further details are specified. In a note it is further mentioned that these requirements might change in the future, when further information and experience become available. The discussion and standardisation on requirements for anaerobic biodegradation or preferably anaerobic treatability is still in an early, initial phase. One idea, which is also circulating, is to require only disintegration after anaerobic testing, arguing that biodegradation can be achieved in subsequent aerobic composting and/or soil application. no specific certificates or labels on anaerobic treatability exist currently (2010), or are foreseen for the near future.

5. interActions betWeen bioPLAstics And tecHnoLogY

In order to be compatible bioplastics should, first of all, be biodegraded during the treatment process, just as with aerobic composting, since anaerobic digestion is a biological waste treatment process. Whether the biodegradation occurs during the first anaerobic phase or during the second aerobic phase has no impact on the quality of final compost, while it clearly has on the biogas production. Correct recovery is assured as long as bioplastic is eventually biodegraded and no residues are left. In this context, whether or not bioplastics are produced from renewable resources is not relevant. The key element is for them to be biodegradable and compatible with the anaerobic digestion process. Concerning technical preconditions of treating bioplastics in anaerobic digestion plants, a distinction must be made between wet and dry technologies. In most dry systems, bioplastics can be added if some boundary conditions are fulfilled: they should be reduced in particle size before entering the digestion (just like biowaste itself), and sieving should be located at the end of the process in order to enable as much biodegradation and disintegration as possible in both the anaerobic digestion and the aerobic composting step. In the case of wet technologies, pretreatment of bioplastics is required to make them processable. Otherwise, they are often removed either by flotation or by sedimentation in the first pulping and hydrolysis phase and therefore are not really entering the digestion (except when bioplastics are quickly soluble or dispersible). Another solution could be to add the bioplastics directly to the 2nd aerobic composting step (considering the retention time in this 2nd step is much shorter than the residence time in a typical composting process). The major underlying reason why several bioplastics show a different biodegradation behaviour in aerobic composting and in anaerobic digestion conditions is due to the influence of fungi. Fungi are abundantly available and very active in aerobic composting, while in anaerobic fermentation, no

1 2

EN 13432: Packaging. Requirements for packaging recoverable through composting and biodegradation. Test scheme and evaluation criteria for the final acceptance of packaging, Scope, Clause 1. EN 13432: Packaging. Requirements for packaging recoverable through composting and biodegradation. Test scheme and evaluation criteria for the final acceptance of packaging, Scope, Clause 5.

Fact Sheet mar 2010

fungi are active. Some polymers are mainly (or even only) degraded by fungi and not by bacteria, and will therefore biodegrade only in aerobic composting and not, or only much slower, in anaerobic digestion. As a matter of fact, this is also the case for the natural polymer lignin, which can be found in wood, straw, shells, etc. On the other hand, when bioplastics do biodegrade also in anaerobic fermentation, there is a double benefit. First of all, energy is produced from the bioplastics under the form of biogas to be converted to electricity. Secondly, as most bioplastics are very rich in carbon and do not contain nitrogen (or very little), the addition of bioplastics to biowaste will improve the carbon to nitrogen (C/n) ratio of the mixture. Biowaste tends to be low in C/n, which is sometimes a problem in anaerobic digestion, by adding a carbon-rich substrate, the C/n ratio is increased. So far, little information on anaerobic biodegradation of bioplastics is known, and further research would be welcome to assess the potential biogas (energy) production due to the bioplastics. Ideally, bioplastics would biodegrade and also disintegrate during the anaerobic phase in an anaerobic digestion plant, just as the major part of natural biowaste does. However, if the bioplastic disintegrates during the anaerobic phase and then afterwards biodegrades completely during the aerobic stabilisation phase or during the use of digestate or compost in soil, it can also be considered to be compatible with anaerobic digestion.

6. beneFits And cHALLenges 6.1 Benefits

like: moist and often smelly waste, which is more difficult to compost (no structure) but ideal to digest. These waste streams are also good candidates for many bioplastic applications (beakers, cutlery, clam shells, etc.) and in that sense, there could be a good synergy between bioplastics and anaerobic digestion. laminated paper and cardboard items can be recovered in anaerobic digestion system by using bioplastic materials instead of non compostable ones. Since the addition of bioplastics to biowaste is often (if not always) accompanied by a more intensive communication and education campaign about source separation, it will reduce the level of contaminants in biowaste.

Energy production. This can lead to a triple benefit or win-win-win situation: (1) bioplastics contain renewable resources, (2) during biodegradation, (renewable) energy is produced in the form of biogas and, (3) the residual matter and biomass produced remains as compost. Improvement of C/n ratio. As biowaste, especially when mainly kitchen waste, is often rich in proteins, the C/n ratio can be relatively low (<20), leading to high ammonia levels and reduced digestion rate. Bioplastics are carbohydrates with little or no nitrogen and, therefore, with a high to very high C/n ratio. Consequently, the C/n ratio of bio waste containing also bioplastics will be much higher and ammonia levels lower, which will improve the digestion process. Anaerobic digestion is often the preferred waste treatment option for kitchen waste, catering waste, disposed fruits and vegetables, and the

Fact Sheet mar 2010

6.2

Challenges
Pretreatment can be a critical factor and determine the processability of a compostable bioplastic in an anaerobic digestion plant.

not all certified compostable bioplastics will degrade to the same extent in the anaerobic digestion step, and they may perform differently in the different technologies. For this reason, more information is needed on the behaviour of different bioplastics in different anaerobic digestion systems.

7. Successful Cases
In some AD plants, non-recyclable paper and bioplastics are added to biowaste without hindering the good operation and functioning of these plants for many years already, e.g. the AD plants in Brecht and Tenneville, Belgium (both dry 1- stage systems). Compostable bags are accepted in various plants, e.g. Skelleftea Sweden (wet one-stage anaerobic digestion plant); SIuS, Passau, Germany (dry horizontal plug flow plant); ZAW-SR, Eiterhofen, Germany, (dry batch facility); ETRA, Bassano del Grappa, Italy (dry vertical plug flow plant),; ACEA Turin, Italy (wet anaerobic 1-stage digestion plant).

8. Annex - reFerences; LinKs etc

1. De Baere l. and Mattheuws B. (2008). State-of-the-art 2008. Waste Management World, July-August 2008

February 2011 European Bioplastics e.V. Marienstrae 19/20 10117 Berlin Phone: +49 (0) 30 284 82 350 Fax: +49 (0) 30 284 84 359 info@european-bioplastics.org www.european-bioplastics.org