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Anaerobic digestion potential of urban organic waste: a case study in Malmo

Davidsson, Åsa LU orcid ; la Cour Jansen, Jes LU ; Appelqvist, Bjorn ; Gruvberger, Christopher and Hallmer, Martin (2007) In Waste Management & Research 25(2). p.162-169
Abstract
A study of existing organic waste types in Malmo, Sweden was performed. The purpose was to gather information about organic waste types in the city to be able to estimate the potential for anaerobic treatment in existing digesters at the wastewater treatment plan (WWTP). The urban organic waste types that could have a significant potential for anaerobic digestion amount to about 50 000 tonnes year(-1) (sludge excluded). Some of the waste types were further evaluated by methane potential tests and continuous pilot-scale digestion. Single -substrate digestion and co-digestion of pre-treated, source-sorted organic fraction of municipal solid waste, wastewater sludge, sludge from grease traps and fruit and vegetable waste were carried out. The... (More)
A study of existing organic waste types in Malmo, Sweden was performed. The purpose was to gather information about organic waste types in the city to be able to estimate the potential for anaerobic treatment in existing digesters at the wastewater treatment plan (WWTP). The urban organic waste types that could have a significant potential for anaerobic digestion amount to about 50 000 tonnes year(-1) (sludge excluded). Some of the waste types were further evaluated by methane potential tests and continuous pilot-scale digestion. Single -substrate digestion and co-digestion of pre-treated, source-sorted organic fraction of municipal solid waste, wastewater sludge, sludge from grease traps and fruit and vegetable waste were carried out. The experiments showed that co-digestion of grease sludge and WWTP sludge was a better way of making use of the methane potential in the grease trap sludge than single-substrate digestion. Another way of increasing the methane production in sludge digesters is to add source-sorted organic fraction of municipal solid waste (SSOFMSW). Adding SSOFMSW (20% of the total volatile solids) gave a 10-15% higher yield than could be expected by comparison with separate digestion of sludge respective SSOFMSW Co-digestion of sludge and organic waste is beneficial not just for increasing gas production but also for stabilizing the digestion process. This was seen when co-digesting fruit and vegetable waste and sludge. When co-digested with sludge, this waste gave a better result than the separate digestion of fruit and vegetable waste. Considering single-substrate digestion, SSOFMSW is the only waste in the study which makes up a sufficient quantity to be suitable as the base substrate in a full-scale digester that is separated from the sludge digestion. The two types of SSOFMSW tested in the pilot-scale digestion were operated successfully at mesophilic temperature. By adding SSOFMSW, grease trap sludge and fruit and vegetables waste to sludge digesters at the wastewater treatment plant, the yearly energy production from methane could be expected to increase from 24 to 43 GWh. (Less)
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author
; ; ; and
organization
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
subject
keywords
wmr, 1032-6, potential, anaerobic digestion, methane, biogas, organic waste
in
Waste Management & Research
volume
25
issue
2
pages
162 - 169
publisher
SAGE Publications
external identifiers
  • wos:000248338500008
  • scopus:33947268628
ISSN
1096-3669
DOI
10.1177/0734242X07075635
language
English
LU publication?
yes
id
bf5000ac-3dac-4421-b865-28b565a45937 (old id 688569)
date added to LUP
2016-04-01 16:10:05
date last changed
2023-11-14 06:11:58
@article{bf5000ac-3dac-4421-b865-28b565a45937,
  abstract     = {{A study of existing organic waste types in Malmo, Sweden was performed. The purpose was to gather information about organic waste types in the city to be able to estimate the potential for anaerobic treatment in existing digesters at the wastewater treatment plan (WWTP). The urban organic waste types that could have a significant potential for anaerobic digestion amount to about 50 000 tonnes year(-1) (sludge excluded). Some of the waste types were further evaluated by methane potential tests and continuous pilot-scale digestion. Single -substrate digestion and co-digestion of pre-treated, source-sorted organic fraction of municipal solid waste, wastewater sludge, sludge from grease traps and fruit and vegetable waste were carried out. The experiments showed that co-digestion of grease sludge and WWTP sludge was a better way of making use of the methane potential in the grease trap sludge than single-substrate digestion. Another way of increasing the methane production in sludge digesters is to add source-sorted organic fraction of municipal solid waste (SSOFMSW). Adding SSOFMSW (20% of the total volatile solids) gave a 10-15% higher yield than could be expected by comparison with separate digestion of sludge respective SSOFMSW Co-digestion of sludge and organic waste is beneficial not just for increasing gas production but also for stabilizing the digestion process. This was seen when co-digesting fruit and vegetable waste and sludge. When co-digested with sludge, this waste gave a better result than the separate digestion of fruit and vegetable waste. Considering single-substrate digestion, SSOFMSW is the only waste in the study which makes up a sufficient quantity to be suitable as the base substrate in a full-scale digester that is separated from the sludge digestion. The two types of SSOFMSW tested in the pilot-scale digestion were operated successfully at mesophilic temperature. By adding SSOFMSW, grease trap sludge and fruit and vegetables waste to sludge digesters at the wastewater treatment plant, the yearly energy production from methane could be expected to increase from 24 to 43 GWh.}},
  author       = {{Davidsson, Åsa and la Cour Jansen, Jes and Appelqvist, Bjorn and Gruvberger, Christopher and Hallmer, Martin}},
  issn         = {{1096-3669}},
  keywords     = {{wmr; 1032-6; potential; anaerobic digestion; methane; biogas; organic waste}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  number       = {{2}},
  pages        = {{162--169}},
  publisher    = {{SAGE Publications}},
  series       = {{Waste Management & Research}},
  title        = {{Anaerobic digestion potential of urban organic waste: a case study in Malmo}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/0734242X07075635}},
  doi          = {{10.1177/0734242X07075635}},
  volume       = {{25}},
  year         = {{2007}},
}