Anaerobic Digestion Network (ADNet) award proof of concept funding

The Anaerobic Digestion Network (ADNet) – a network of academic and industrial partners which ADBA is part of – has awarded three grants to researchers focussing on different aspects of the AD process.

Each aspect is really exciting in themselves – but it is also of value to the industry to have academics studying the issues so they build expertise that can be used by the industry. 

The first grant is to produce a lab-scale reactor that mimics the hydrolysis function of cows' rumen – this is a processes that works 10-30 times quicker than anaerobic digesters. The results should be fascinating. The second grant is for testing integrated membrane freeze-thaw (MFT) processes for extracting fatty acids and nutrients (N and P) as salt crystals or concentrated fluid – this could help AD realise its ultimate potential as offering high-quality concentrated fertiliser in addition to energy products. The third grant is for a process that enhances digestate by growing plant hormones such as auxins in the digestate – these plant hormones then support crop growth when the digestate is applied to crop cultivation – this could therefore improve the attractiveness to farmers of buying/ accepting digestate to their land.

See here for the details of all of these projects. The researchers are, respectively, Professor Ian Thompson – University of Oxford, Dr Robert Lovitt – Swansea University and Professor Richard Dinsdale – University of South Wales.

We are always keen to hear members' view on the value of these research projects to the industry and of any other research that members believe should be being undertaken. Please contact myself on ollie.more@adbioresources.org or on 020 3567 0751 with any feedback.