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FAIR-CT96-2083
Anaerobic digestion of agro-industrial wastes: information network AD-NETT |
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Contract No: | FAIR-CT96-2083 |
| Date Prepared: | 2000, July 1998, December 1998 | |
| Source: | Final Report Network Publicity Material Progress Report |
Introduction
AD-Nett is a network of professionals working in
anaerobic digestion in Europe and Canada. Its prime motive is to enable exchange
of information and experience and to disseminate this information and experience
to relevant organisations, such as potential users and developers.
Why Anaerobic Digestion?
Waste biomass from farming and food-industries, such as slurries and the organic waste from food processing can present a considerable waste disposal problem. Release of large quantities of organic wastes into local water courses or seepage into ground water results in pollution of water courses and water supply. To prevent this occuring, the biomass needs to be treated and suitably stored. One method of treatment is natural microbial degradation under anaerobic conditions. This technique has been applied to agricultural wastes world-wide on a small scale. Treating the waste by AD gives some environmental benefits, and in addition to AD also results in energy, in the form of biogas. Biogas is an inflammable gas, which can easily be used to generate electricity and heat. The potential benefits from on-farm and local use of fossil fuels and provision of energy within rural communities.
AD Implementation
In countries such as Denmark, Sweden, Germany, Austria and Switzerland there are many examples of codigestion of farm manure with other suitable organic wastes in prefabricated digestors. There is a large interest in this option in these countries and in other countries both inside and outside the EU.
AD-Nett programme
Much can be gained from exchange of experience of both successful and unsuccessful AD schemes. The AD-Nett will help to ensure that past mistakes are not repeated, and to provide the latest information on operating parameters, economies, environmental benefits and the impact of successful plants. AD-Net includes 16 partners both within and outside the EU.
Objectives
Each partiapant in AD-Nett is responsible for dissemination of the information within his/her own country. To assist this work technical summaries on key are-as and artides on the latest developments will be produced. In ad-difion each partner wiit establish a network of interested organisa-tions within their nation to assist in the dissemination of the infor-mation produced. This national networkwork will include contacts in the agro and food industnes, the AD-industry, researchers etc.
Acknowledgement
In addition to support from the EC FAIR programme, AD-Nett is sponsored by national programmes in Switzerland and Canada.
Summary
Introduction AD-NETT is a Concerted Action in the form of an anaerobic digestion (AD) network covering agro-industrial wastes. The main purpose is to facilitate exchange of information and experience across the EU and other nations. The network started with 16 partners from Western Europe and Canada, with two more joining in 1998, from , France and Hungary.
The main actions of AD-NETT is organisation of bi-annual meetings of the participants and dissemination of the results through national interest groups (NIGs). AD-NETT grew out of the former International Energy Agency (IEA) Activity on AD of Biomass and builds on links established through that network. It also works closely with other EC ALTENER funded networks, such as the Energy from Waste (EfW) network.
Objectives The main objectives of AD-NETT are to establish a network of expertise to share experience on the AD of Agro-industrial wastes and to produce databases covering AD experts, organisations and plant sites Other activities include:
Communication between the participants is through the bi-annual meetings, via e-mail, the web site and a discussion site initiated by JRC. All participants are kept informed of progress on the projects via e-mail and fax by the Project Co-ordinator (PC) assisted by the Secretariat.
Activities The Tasks for this project were assigned on a year by year basis, as follows (where C indicates that they have been completed and O indicates an ongoing situation).
Year 1 (01/01/97-31/12/97)
Year 2 (01/01/98 - 31/12/98)
Year 3 (01/01/99 - 31/12/99)
Results AD-NETT has complete most of its tasks and achieved most of its objectives for the first two years. Some activities are ongoing, and will continue to be developed over the contract period. This includes the individual reports from each participant. Activities that continue include:
The situation concerning technical summaries varies. Some have been finished and put on the Web site. For some, difficulties have been encountered, with the level of information available and distribution of this between participants. This issue has been highlighted at AD-NETT meetings.
Discussion The AD-NETT has met with active interest from most of the participants. Meetings have been well-attended and the participants are contributing. However, there have been some delays with the progress reports from a few of the participants. In addition, one nation has not attended the meetings or provided information.
Two meetings have been held as planned, the first in Bologna, Italy and the second in Freising, Germany. Both meetings have been well-attended, and at both meetings non-members have participated. One day at each meeting site visits have been arranged.
In Italy the plants are mostly in connection to the agro-industries, in Germany there is significant development of on-farm plants built by different contractors or other concerns working in the biogas area.
The web site has come on stream, and it has been updated with information, articles and national summaries on AD development in the countries. After the first edition the lay-out has been changed by the secretariat responding to requests for a more user friendly appearance.
Two databases have been developed, one on biogas plants and one on resource and people. On biogas plants almost 300 entries have been put into the database, although German entries are still missing. Half of the biogas plants digesting agro-industrial wastes are situated in Germany, but with so many plants the German partner will supply examples of plants. The following table summarises some of the statistics from the databases.
No of plants |
biogas production | ||
| Mm3/y | GJ/y | ||
| Austria | 23 | 1.410 | 32.900 |
| Denmark | 39 | 45.150 | 1,052,090 |
| Germany | 400 | ||
| Greece | 2 | 0.001 | 33 |
| Holland | 3 | 1.960 | 45,630 |
| Italy | 70 | 6.880 | 160,250 |
| Norway | 4 | 0.620 | 14,450 |
| Portugal | 16 | 1.520 | 35,300 |
| Spain | 6 | 0.026 | 625 |
| Sweden | 12 | 19.430 | 452,700 |
| Switzerland | 59 | 1.790 | 41,700 |
| United Kingdom | 31 | ||
Further reports and figures on gas production, digester site, feed stock, energy use etc. can be taken from the database.
Work has progressed on the Technical Summaries. Some are finished, and the rest of the are in draft editions or in the state of collecting materials and information. All Technical summaries will be presented at the web site and in printed form.
The participants have promoted and disseminated news of AD-NETT throughout 1998. Dissemination routes have been established in most of the participating nations. In countries where there are problems with dissemination, it is clear that the reason lies in less well developed industry and other issues which encourage the uptake of AD of agro-industrial wastes. These countries will gain benefit from the experience of other nations where the dissemination routes are better established. It is already clear that all participating nations are benefiting from the exchange of information, particularly on factors which encourage the use of and overcome barriers to the use of AD, Some of the nations, which have had difficulties, have had a tremendous progress during the year on the biogas issue, e.g, Holland and Greece, with agreements from the political side and seminars and training session to focus the area.
AD-NETT have been presented at many seminars and conferences, e.g. at the 10th European Conference on Biomass for Energy and Industry in Germany in June, and the database and information from the partners have been used in articles etc. This has been giving some publicity and contacts, not only from the member nations but also from countries not participating the network.
Future activities The next meeting will take place at the new partner in France at end of April 1999 Here the rest of the technical reports will be presented and development of the Web site and databases will be discussed. Non-members of the network have been invited. Dissemination etc. will continue by each participants, presenting the issue in articles, seminars, training sessions etc.
In October a seminar will take place in Galway, Ireland. The seminar will promote the development of AD and present results of AD-NETT. Ireland has been chosen for the event, because there is a big interest on the issue in Ireland and the seminar shall help to promote a kick-off on AD-plants in Ireland.
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