Project Information Sheet
Digestate from Manure Recycling
Technologies (DIGESMART)
Programme area: / Europe, digestate valorisationCoordinator: / Biogas-E, Belgium
E-mail:
Tel: +32 56241 263
Partners: / AINIA centro technológico, Spain
Detricon, Belgium
University of Turin, UNITO, Italy
SATA srl, Italy
Biogas-E vzw, Belgium
Website: /
Benefits
(max. 150 characters incl. space): / In the current context of worrying pollution of water andsoil in many parts of Europe, the DIGESMART project will allow farmers to promote their waste into energy and fertilizer. Indeed the solution ofanaerobic digestion associated with the treatment of the digestate will enable farmers to export manure and surplus digestate to deficit areas while making extra income
Keywords: / Digestate, Fertilizers, Eco-technology
Sector: / Recyling
Type of solution / Upgrading process of anaerobic digested material
Duration: / 01/09/2013–31/08/2016
Budget: / € 1076416 (EU contribution: 50%)
Contract number: / ECO/12/332882
Summary
In the transition from a fossil based to a bio-based economy, it has become an important challenge to maximally close the nutrient cycle and migrate to a more sustainable resource management.
Some European areas (Brittany, Lombardy, Jutland, Westphalia, South of the Netherlands ,Catalonia, Brabant) with its agricultural activity producing large amounts of residues, is an ideal testing ground for this challenge. In this project we set out to bring together all stakeholders for the installation of a new process to minimize spreading digestate flows and to economically valorise the minerals (nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium) The project begins in September 2013 and end in 3 years with the installation of 6 units of treatment in Europe.
According to the European Environment Agency, the agricultural sector contributes to around 12% of the total greenhouse gas emission. The livestock sector is the main contributor with more than 85% of the total agricultural emission. Around half of total emissions assigned to the livestock sector are emitted in form of carbon dioxide (CO2), 25% in form of methane (CH4) and nitrous oxide (N2O). In some countries, the installation of biogas plants for anaerobic digestion (AD) of agricultural waste into biogas such as methane is developing rapidly thanks to the introduction of governmental incentives for the purchase of electricity. Although biogas production is efficient to reduce agricultural emission by converting the biomass into electricity and thermal energy (cogeneration), its major weakness is that it produces a digestate with high concentration of nutrients (N, P, K). This means that large agricultural areas are required for the application of the fermentation residues (because of nitrates regulation), which often results in long transport routes. Moreover another weakness of digestate is low reduction in terms of fresh matters processed after anaerobic digestion treatment. This point is one of the reasons of high transportation costs to digestate use.
DIGESMART project proposes to concentrate the digestate to reduce transportation costs and pollutant emissions due to the transport.
results
-The project offers a solution of digestate valorisation, contributing to reduce inorganic fertilizers amounts though recycling of nutrients (N-P-K) of digestate in an environmental friendly way.
-Optimize nutrient recovery from organic resource to limit water and soil contamination, save primary resources( N,P,K) and limit green gas emissions. Environmental impact will be studied in LCA
-The solution proposed will contribute also to increase the economic sustainability of small size biogas plants due to the reduction of digestate treatment costs
-Construction of a pilot plant of digestate treatment
-User-friendly and clear website online 6 months after the project start and participation in agricultural fairs (min. 4)
The information sheet will be published in the Eco-Innovation website. The EASME reserves the right to edit the information sheet for content and length
Page 1