Anaerobic Digestion happens inside stainless steel or reinforced concrete vats. It uses micro-organisms to break down organic material, creating a biogas that can be used as a substitute for fossil fuels.
- First, the mechanically recovered waste is mixed with water and then added, in batches, to the vats.
- Inside the sealed vat a natural biological process occurs, leading to an increase in temperature which helps release methane gas from the material
- The methane is captured and can be used to power an electricity generator or as a replacement fuel
Each batch takes approximately 30 days to complete and as each batch matures, a new one is added.
Mature batches are allowed to dry out, leaving a stable material which can be landfilled or turned into a useful Solid Recovered Fuel.
Anaerobic digestion has many benefits; it significantly reduces the amount of waste sent to landfill, it releases valuable energy and the end product – the stable material – has a much lower environmental impact than untreated waste.
Plus it can also be used as a fuel.