(495b) Resource Recovery from Solid Waste Anaerobic Digester - Performance, Energy Consumption and Cost

Organic waste streams, including agricultural residues and food waste, are predicted to significantly increase in the coming decades due to rapid urbanization. One promising technology to reduce and reuse organic waste is anaerobic digestion (AD). To enable wide and economical deployment at small scale AD, higher value products from recovered waste organic acids are necessary compared to conventional, limited value biogas product.

In this presentation, we will discuss the engineering design, installation, and field operation of organic and inorganic salts recovery technologies from the liquid phase of solid waste anaerobic digester. The resources recovery simultaneously prevented organic waste from reaching landfills and potentially produced a sustainable green alternative to petrochemicals at a cost-competitive price. Process performance index metrices of the recovery will be discussed. These metrices were used to optimize the operation condition for maximum productivity, minimum energy consumption and capital equipment footprint. Technology viability of the recovery technology was assessed in a pilot-scale technology demonstration using the influence from a field AD. We will also discuss the robust operation in a real-world environment and the mitigation actions executed in several events of process upsets.