QLK5-2000-00439 AD-NETT: Network on anaerobic digestion of wastes from industries and agriculture

Contacts
Summary Information



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Agriculture : Liquid Biofuels and Biogas : Quality of Life - 5.2 Non-Food Development

Contract No:	QLK5-2000-00439
Source:	First year periodic report - March 2002 - Abstract

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First year periodic report - March 2002 - Abstract

Introduction

This is the first year periodic report from an established group. The network was funded previously (1996-1999) under the FAIR programme and, following a period without EC funds, was re-funded in Summer 2001. Despite the fact that officially the project was not active in 2000, the members of the first AD-Nett programme maintained at least a minimal information transfer. Apart from the Canadian participants, all the member of the first agreement continued the work. In addition a new member (Hungary) was welcomed along with a number of new experts. The network will continue information gathering and exchange and seek opportunities to gather information from national monitoring of plant. In addition the network will document typical plant in different countries to information that may lead to demonstration of new plant in countries where AD of agro-industrial residues is currently not very successful. The network gathers information on economics, taxes, subsidies, legislation and standards which is of val ue to those making decisions affecting the implementation of AD in the EU.

AD-NETT will continue:

• its dissemination work through the web page
• organisation of events
• attendance of key events
• dissemination through national interest groups and key national journals
• the distribution of a newsletter in German and English (and in some cases translated by participants into their own language).

Activities

To meet the goals of the project, activities are organised into ten work packages (WPs), each under the leadership of an individual or individuals, as follows:

WP	Content	Leader (s)
1	Review of influence of policy measures	Ake Nordberg, Sweden
2	Hygiene effects of AD on animal manure and food-processing wastes	Emer Collin, Ireland
3	Guidelines, technology and economy of co-substrates	Rudolf Braun, Austria
4	Fertilising effects and soil organic matter spreading digestate from AD treated biomass	Sergio Piccinini, Italy and Mchalis Mardikis, Greece
5	Farmers Organisation, the key to development of AD	Pierre Labeyrie, France and Claudius da Costa Gomes, Germany
6	Research and development of AD	Komel Kovacs, Hungary
7/8	Database and web site	Claudius da Costa Gomez, Germany
9	News magazine	Arthur Wellinger, Switzerland
10	Workshops	Henrik Ortenblad, Denmark

The collation of the information required for each work package is done in each member country by the respective representative. Data collection, updates, evaluation, layout and formulation of the report is done by the assigned member for each WP.

Network Meetings

During 2001 two group meetings were scheduled. A kick-off meeting was held in Athens in June 2001 to start the network and to agree on the content of the ten work packages as well as to consider how to organise and continue the work. A second meeting was held in Aarhus in September 2001 to follow up on the work. The meeting was held in connection withThe Nordic BioEnergy Conference, where AD-NETT also participated in oral presentations and in the exhibition.

Progress

WP 1. Preparations, for presentation at the first meeting, have been made relating to the objectives and contents of this workpackage. The initial activity focused on collecting information relevant to the proposed on "Biological treatment of biodegradable waste". The information was summarised at the second meeting with special emphasis on the annexes. The content was discussed and priorities set concerning missing aspects in relation to anaerobic digestion. A questionnaire has been prepared and sent to the partners as a basis for collecting information on national legislation that will impact implementation of anaerobic digestion. During the next period, the information on national legislation will be summarised into a paper and a presentation made at a workshop in Portugal (April 2002). A questionnaire on the draft for the directive on "Biological treatment of biodegradable waste" has been distributed to all delegates for comments. 'Ihe results will be processed into a document, expressing the views of the AD-NETT group.

WP 2. It was decided to give priority to the new directive from the Commission on hygiene effects of AD on animal manure and food-processing wastes, because the Directive is going to be implemented soon. It will set standards for hygiene. Some countries already have relevant rules in their national legislation, but most of the participating countries do not. This will lead further on to the descriptions of hygiene standards nessesary at AD plants for control of harmfull bacteria.

WP 3 "Technological and Economical Guidelines on Co-substrates". This has resulted in compilation of a draft version, data acquisition and literature review. Discussion of the draft version took place at the Athens and Aarhus meetings and resulting in comments, additions and corrections. A 24 page draft version and a questionaire covering more detailed information is under completion by the task members.

WP 4. A first draft document has been produced covering the use of organic fertilisers in the EU. This work will be continues during the next period.

WP 5. Farmers and farmers' organisationa are seen as a key to development of AD. To help and to promote AD a visit will be arranged to a newly started, on-farm plant, near Strasbourg. Members of the French parliament and Farmers Organisation will be invited to attend. A study tour for French farmers to Bavaria will also be held. The experience gained from these activities will be used to encourage similar activities by other AD-NEFT partners.

WP 6. Tests on inoculum and reincubation of inoculurn into digesters are carried out at the Josef A. University. Such methods will also be tested at other laboratories to validate the results. The results and other results from research on AD will be transformed into easy to comprehend information packages aimed at plant owners and operators to benefit from such research results.

WP 7. Work has not yet started in this area. However, it is proposed that statistics will be collected on biogas production, plant types, gas conversion and energy production in the EU countries. This will be presented on the web site.

WP 8. The hosting and running of the web site has changed from that of the previous activity. This activity is being moved to the German Biogas Association, that already has its web site. The host has been changed and a new design prepared. It will be updated frequently.

WP 9 The Swiss member is responsible for the creation, edition and distribution of a news magazine together with the German member. It was agreed that at first the magazine should be published in the German language only for the simple reason that the major of the world's biogas production from engineered digesters is produced in the German speaking countries of Europe. The magazine should treat topics on the digestion of agricultural and source separated household waste including co-digestion in farm and sewage sludge digesters. A number of potential publishers were contacted in Austria, Germany and Switzerland. Big Ben from Germany, who also produces the journal of the German Biogas Association and the public journal "Erneuerbare Energie" as well as the English edition "Renewable Energies" made the best offer. A group of highly qualified journalists and experts from Austria, Germany, Italy and Switzerland were appointed to write the major articles for the magazine over the next two years. In a preparatory meeting in November in Freising, Germany, the major aspects for publication of the brochure were set. The title is Global Biogas a title which also fits a future English magazine. Each volume will be 8 pages, appearing as two issues annually in 3,500 copies. It will be distributed through the national biogas associations and interest groups of Austria, Germany, Switzerland, Italy, Luxembourg, Netherlands and Belgium For each issue a special topic will be chosen. The first edition will be produced in March 2002 with cogeneration as theme, to meet the work done in WP 3.

WP 10. The first workshop was arranged by CBE in Portugal in April 2002. The second workshop will be in Hungary with AD plant site visits in Austria. This will be held in April/May 2003.

Work schedule

The schedule of the work is in line with the proposal. However, activities within each work packages are part of a continuous process linked to the contract period. As indicated above, progress is being made in all work packages, for some more than others, but arrangements have been made to fulfil the goals of each package.

Dissemination

Dissemination is done continuously by the network in talks and presentations at meetings and conferences, articles are produced for magazines, site visits are carried out and initiatives aimed at informing politicians and decision makers have been arranged.