Grant: CCI Applied Research and Development Grants

Regional service commissions in New Brunswick are responsible for solid waste management on their territories. Approximately 30% of all waste landfilled in the province is organics that can be transformed into higher-value products through a microbial transformation like compost or biogas. The biogas is produced by a consortium of microorganisms converting the organic matter through an anaerobic digestion process. After digestion, the remaining liquid fraction can be used as a source of fertilizer on agricultural land and a portion of the biogas produced can be converted into electricity or can be used as a substitute to natural gas. The Fundy Regional Service Commission (Fundy RSC) wants to evaluate the potential to use a fraction of the organic material transiting through its site for biogas production. The Fundy RSC is already generating green energy by capturing biogas from its landfill cells and converting it into electricity. Therefore, the addition of an anaerobic digestor is very complementary. Innov, the R&D branch of the College Communautaire du Nouveau-Brunswick, has experience and expertise in anaerobic digestion for biogas production and will be partnering with the Fundy RSC on this project. The objectives of the project are: 1) Identify the best inoculum for anaerobic digestion ideally found on site or near the site. 2) Evaluate the potential to use a fraction of the sorted organic material as a feedstock. 3) Determine the potential methane volume produced by the optimal inoculum/feedstock ratio at the laboratory scale (250mL). 4) Scale up the best-identified processes at the pilot scale (4,000L) to validate the potential for a larger-scale anaerobic digestor implementation. 5) Perform pre-feasibility studies, at laboratory and pilot scale, with other facilities interested in anaerobic digestor addition to their business. Learning opportunities will be generated through this project for college students, staff members, and the Fundy RSC. The outcome of the project is to de-risk technology adoption for the Fundy RSC. This project will also promote biogas production through anaerobic digestion as a sustainable source of energy and as a clean technology that can contribute to our global effort to lower our carbon footprint.