Process in which microorganisms break down biodegradable material in the absence of oxygen.

Darzins, A., Pienkos, P. and Edye, L., 2010, Current status and potential for algal biofuels production. A report to IEA Bioenergy Task 39, Report T39-T2, August 2010.

Source category: Scientific & Technical Literature

Anaerobic digestion is an established, commercial technology for manure, food and agricultural waste or sewage sludge, around TRL 8 - 9. It processes feedstock by microorganisms under anaerobic conditions to produce biogas. Anaerobic digestion includes a series of biological conversion processes in which microorganisms break down biodegradable material in the absence of oxygen: hydrolysis; acid genesis; acetogenesis; and methanogenesis. The biogas produced contains methane (50 - 70%), carbon dioxide (30 - 40%) and other gases, such as hydrogen (H₂), nitrogen (N₂), hydrogen sulphide (H₂S), ammonia (NH₃), and trace amounts of saturated or halogenated carbohydrates, organic silicon compounds (e.g., siloxanes), oxygen (O₂) and particles. Biogas is a fuel that can be used to produce electricity, heat or as transport fuel. Biogas could be upgraded to biomethane (bio-natural gas), by removal of the CO₂ and the contaminants, to be used as transport fuel or injected into the natural gas grid.

European Commission, Joint Research Centre, Motola, V., Scarlat, N, Buffi, M., Hurtig, O., Rejtharova, J., Georgakaki, A., Mountraki, A., Letout, S., Salvucci, R., Rózsai, M. and Schade, B., Clean Energy Technology Observatory: Bioenergy in the European Union - 2024 Status Report on Technology Development, Trends, Value Chains and Markets, Publications Office of the European Union, Luxembourg, 2024, https://data.europa.eu/doi/10.2760/0461007, JRC139331

Source category: EC Technical Documents