Do you want chips with that? How your leftovers could be running your car
Ever considered that your leftover steak pie could be used to power your car? Saturday night’s discarded take-away could be heating your home or maybe that those leftover sandwiches from your business meeting could be fertilising crops? This is what Anaerobic Digestion experts will discuss at the University of Abertay Dundee today (Thursday 9th June).
Academics, industry representatives and government bodies are attending ‘Anaerobic Digestion - The Full Story’ where they will discuss how the benefits of Anaerobic Digestion (AD) can be maximised in Scotland and beyond.
AD is a well proven renewable energy and waste management technology which processes household and industrial biodegradable wastes, including wastes that are unsuitable for composting, such as meat and cooked food.
As well as processing the waste material, AD generates two products; biogas and digestate. The biogas can be cleaned up and injected into the mains gas grid or used as a liquified natural gas (LNG) road fuel and the digestate is used as a low-cost fertiliser and soil conditioner.
Zero Waste Scotland, who will have representatives at the conference, recently published research that suggested some 1.35 million tonnes of food waste in Scotland could be transformed into new products through the increased use of AD.
Zero Waste Scotland, who will have representatives at the conference, recently published research that suggested some 1.35 million tonnes of food waste in Scotland could be transformed into new products through the increased use of AD.
Dr Joe Akunna, an expert in AD and Director of Postgraduate Environmental Education at Abertay is hosting the conference in partnership with The Chartered Institution of Wastes Management (CIWM) , Dr Akunna said: “The government are eager to improve the uptake of Anaerobic Digestion and Abertay are in a prominent position to take this forward using our academic expertise and relationships with industry. This is why the CIWM has chosen to work with us and this is why we are hosting the conference here.
“The potential impact of increased use of AD in Scotland would be increased revenue and employment from production and distribution, reduced fossil fuel consumption and greenhouse gas emissions, and reduced landfill by taking food and other organic materials out of landfill sites. There are a lot of great opportunities.”
The group will discuss future and current market opportunities such as a potential £5.5 million market for digestate as a very competitive fertiliser alternative for farmers, and also barriers to market growth such as cost-effective transport.
Abertay is well known for its environmental research and boasts three research centres in this area: SIMBIOS, Urban Water Technology Centre, and the Abertay Centre for Environment.
Provided by University of Abertay Dundee
