Anaerobic digestion research funding success

ADBA MEMBER NEWS

The Wales Centre of Excellence for Anaerobic Digestion (the AD Centre), part of the Sustainable Environment Research Centre based at the University of South Wales has been awarded £889,000 by the Welsh Government’s A4B project to deliver a Knowledge Transfer Centre in Advanced Anaerobic Processes and Biogas Systems.

The project builds on the success of the Centre, which has been delivering support to the anaerobic digestion industry since 2008, and the University’s long R&D track record in anaerobic processes.

The grant includes provision for £640,000 of new state-of-art analytical equipment and laboratory based digestion systems to add to existing facilities. This will greatly increase the Centre’s capacity to collaborate with industries in the development and deployment of novel and efficient waste management and renewable energy projects based around the production and utilisation of biogas and digestates.

Dr Sandra Esteves, Director of the Wales Centre of Excellence for Anaerobic Digestion, said:

This latest award is the result of a real team effort. For several years we have been working hard to interact with and support the emerging AD industry. The additional resources that we can now put in place will be utilised to further help companies address some complex technical challenges, and to develop new processes and products that, at the moment, do not exist.

 

These are exciting developments that will create commercial opportunities, economic benefits, and maximise the environmental credentials for AD and biogas systems.

Minister for Economy, Science and Transport, Edwina Hart said:

The Academic Expertise for Business programme aims to unlock the commercial potential of Wales’ Higher and Further Education Institutions to bring economic benefits for Wales.

 

Anaerobic Digestion is an important waste management process for Wales, particularly for treating food waste as well as appropriate commercial and industrial waste. The additional technical support that the Wales Centre of Excellence for Anaerobic Digestion can provide as a result of this funding will not just allow industry to develop and deploy technically robust systems, but also to innovate and improve the technology and stay at the forefront of this developing sector.