Feasability – Digestate
The output after anaerobic digestion (as such or after post-treatment) can have many applications (direct use as fertilizer, compost after post-treatment, cover in landfilling,…). To evaluate what application offers the best options, it is important to analyse several parameters on the output. The selection of the necessary parameters happens in consultation with the client and will in many cases be determined by the legislation and quality standards in the country of application.
Following post-treatment steps can be tested in the lab:
- Post-fermentation test: Evaluates the potential rest biogas production of the digestate (needed to evaluate if a post-fermenter is economically feasible)
- Dewatering tests: selection of polymer, determination of characteristics of press cake/water or centrifuge cake/water, calculation of a mass balance
- Aerobic post-composting tests: evaluates the aeration, duration of post-composting, characteristics of final compost
- Wet separation test: simulates the SORDISEP technique on lab-scale, resulting in a mass balance and characterization of the different fractions, providing basic information whether SORDISEP is a suitable technology for the digestate in question and providing a basis for further dimensioning of the SORDISEP unit