Anaerobic digestion is a natural process which converts organic matter such as household food and garden waste, farm slurry, waste from food processing plants and supermarkets, into energy. The main products resulting from anaerobic digestion are biogas (a mixture of methane and carbon dioxide), which is very similar to natural gas, and digestate, a low level fertilizer. The biogas can be used to generate electricity, gas or heat, or compressed for use as a biofuel. The fertilizer is rich in nitrates and phosphates. The water industry has been using anaerobic digestion to convert effluent into energy and fertilizer for many years.
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Anaerobic Digestion ( AD) is the process where plant and animal material ( biomass) is converted into useful products by micro-organisms in the absence of air. Biomass is put inside sealed tanks and naturally occurring micro-organisms digest it, releasing methane that can be used to provide heat and power. This means AD can help reduce fossil fuel use and reduce greenhouse gas emissions. The material left over at the end of the process is rich in nutrients so it can be used as fertiliser.
AD is not a new technology - it has actually been used in the UK since the 1800s - and there are a growing number of AD plants in the UK processing our waste and producing energy.
Almost any biomass can be processed in AD and converted into renewable energy: food waste, energy crops, slurry, crop residues, etc. AD plants can accept waste from our homes, supermarkets, industry and farms, so less waste goes to landfill. However, woody biomass cannot yet be used in AD because the micro-organisms can't breakdown the lignin, the compound that gives wood its strength.