The World needs quick and practical 'fixes' to avoid a gathering storm of crises, most immediately the energy supply crisis, and potential farming/food production crises.
The Anaerobic Digestion (AD) and biogas industry is recognised as one of the required quick fixes. The reasons are many:
- AD’s ability to mitigate methane emissions from rotting organic wastes, positions it among the ‘fastest, most immediate and cost-effective’ ways to solve the issues raised above - "low hanging fruit" as it were, and will play a crucial role in delivering the Global Methane Pledge.
- AD produces natural fertiliser, a ready organic replacement for its petro-chemical counterpart, where a 20% slump in supply, forecast to last for several years, has led to ‘famine’ warnings.
- AD produces renewable energy, that cuts costs of manufacture, allows governments to insulate economies from international price hikes.
- AD can produce biomethane as clean transport fuel – dramatically reducing so-called 'carbon (dioxide) emissions and cutting air pollution in our cities ( as a replacement of diesel fuels), delivering health benefits valued in the billions of dollars/pounds.
- AD and biogas are the readily available, ready to deploy at scale, solution to these global challenges. With the right enabling environment AD can deliver millions of skilled jobs, especially potentially transitioning from the oil and gas industry, rural sustainability, energy and food security.
- As a circular solution the deployment of AD has a ripple effect – stimulating sustainable practices across society. That is why the International Energy Agency (IEA) says AD sits at the heart of a circular economy and is the poster boy for net zero.
- AD sits at the heart of an integrated energy response to the challenges we face, delivering immediate results and ushering in an era of flexible energy management systems that integrates technologies across different energy vectors (electricity, heat and gas) and Supporting Food Production with the by-products (Compost etc).
Developing the enabling environment to unleash the power of biogas is what global thought leadership summit's explore, with industry leaders addressing best practice to de-risk and short-circuit AD deployment.
In summary: Some key features of bioenergy:
- Available now
- Applicable in all energy sectors (electricity, direct heat, transport)
- Readily integrated with existing infrastructure
- Store-able – it can support expansion of intermittent renewables
- It can deliver negative emissions when linked to Carbon Capture & Storage (CCS): BECCS / Bio-CCS
Bioenergy contributes to climate change mitigation when:
- Biomass is based on waste/residues
- Converted to energy products efficiently
- Used to displace GHG-intensive fuels
Bioenergy encompasses many potential feedstocks, conversion processes and energy applications. It interacts strongly with the agriculture, forestry and waste management sectors, and its prospects are linked to the growth of a broader bioeconomy. Bioenergy can only expand if supplied and used in a sustainable manner.
Humans generate a remarkable amount of waste: over 2 billion tons of solid waste is produced every year around the world. By the year 2050, the amount of waste produced annually is expected to grow to 3.4 billion tons. Forty-four percent of this global waste comprises food and organic materials, That’s where the AD solution comes in to facilitate positive change.
Landfills are the most common destination for your rubbish. When organic waste decomposes in landfills, it naturally produces methane, a 'greenhouse gas' with 80 times more warming power than carbon dioxide. In an era of rapid urbanization and population growth, efficient waste management is critical for sustainable, healthy and inclusive cities. If no action is taken, the World will continue on a dangerous path to more waste and overwhelming pollution. The time to act is "yesterday", or failing that, today!
The driving force behind AD is to transform the world of waste and Innovative technology is the fastest way to disrupt a static industry. We see waste as a resource that can better our lives today, and our planet tomorrow. To achieve this vision, we are making waste-to-resource solutions accessible to all through the technology of nature.
AD is at the 'core' of developed solutions offering a portfolio of 'products/systems' that treat organic waste on-site and in turn, will benefit the environment and enable people and businesses worldwide to shift to clean, renewable energy.
Making Waste Matter
AD improves the quality of life in urban and rural areas by refining the way organic waste is handled, minimize the need for landfills, rubbish lorries and even skips and garbage bins. AD creates compact domestic and commercial systems that up-cycle waste on-site into a practical resource: bio-gas/bio-methane for Injecting into the Gas Grid, Combined Heat and Power (CHP), cooking, heating water and bio-fertilizer to nourish and grow a healthy garden or crops. The goal is to improve organic waste management across all kinds of urban and rural areas including households, hospitals, schools, restaurants, farms, refugee camps and anywhere else that will benefit from AD innovation. Wherever organic waste exists - there are innovative and sustainable solutions.