Renewable energy from anaerobic digestion is generated in silos where particular bacteria is added to organic waste. Sewage, vegetation, manure, slaughterhouse waste and waste water can all be broken down in an anaerobic digestion silo. In some cases, particular silage crops are grown for decomposition. The bacteria is added to the waste and the decomposition takes place in the absence of oxygen (hence ‘anaerobic’). The methane produced during decomposition is burned on site, driving turbines and creating renewable electricity.

Anaerobic digestion is not particularly suitable for small-scale domestic renewable electricity production, largely due to the space requirements for the silos and the sheer amount of waste required to produce methane. However, renewable energy from anaerobic digestion can be produced on a large commercial scale, a practice common in the United States, taking waste from a wide region.

In the UK, farms are perfect sites to produce renewable energy from anaerobic digestion. Renewable energy consultants exist to advise farmers on the best technology to use and how to export this into the grid.

Since the late eighteenth century, it has been recognised that flammable gases naturally occur where organic matter decomposes and the English scientist Humphry Davey identified these gases as methane in 1808. Methane has been collected and burned since the advent of sewage works. Generating renewable energy from anaerobic digestion picked up pace into the 1930s and 1940s, with Germany and France both using anaerobic digestion to produce methane during the Second World War.

It has only been in the last few years that anaerobic digestion renewable energy has really taken off in the treatment of agricultural waste.

Renewable energy from anaerobic digestion receives little assessment in the press when compared to other mainstream renewable electricity generation technologies. It has not been nearly as popular a renewable energy source when compared to hydropower renewable energy or wind renewable energy over the last few years. However, as government policies change and renewable energy from anaerobic digestion is incentivised the technology will become more popular in the coming years, with Feed-in Tariffs being particularly important in this regard.

Renewable energy from anaerobic digestion is concentrated in America and Europe and notably popular in India.

Renewable energy from anaerobic digestion is an extremely efficient way of gathering methane and generating renewable electricity. It stops methane, a harmful greenhouse gas, from being released without control into the atmosphere and puts it to good use. It reduces dependence on fossil fuels (like coal) and has less associated pollutants, such as sulphur dioxide.

Renewable energy from anaerobic digestion can accommodate wastewater and sewage, which might otherwise be released directly into rivers and oceans, and prevents it from being dumped elsewhere.

The anaerobic digestion process essentially ‘cleans’ the waste and the resulting substrate is a valuable fertiliser. Given the farm setting of many anaerobic digestion silos, this is an extremely useful by-product which can be as valuable as the electricity produced. It is also an effective way of cleaning hazardous waste products.

Renewable energy from anaerobic digestion has a fairly expensive initial capital outlay and can be temperamental to run and maintain without the right renewable energy consultation. The bacteria used in anaerobic renewable silos need to be kept at an optimum temperature so production of methane can slow if the weather is cold.

It is strongly recommended that you seek the advice of a renewable energy consultancy if you are thinking of installing an anaerobic digestion renewable energy plant. Companies like TradeLink Solutions will be happy to offer free advice to anyone looking to install anaerobic digestion technology.