Production of Biogas and Biodiesel From Organic and Commercial Byproducts

To address the need of modern society to meet the ever-increasing demand for energy, as an offshoot of both population and economic growth, it becomes critically important to truly recognize that finite resources cannot be the only primary recourse to power our planet. Seeking innovative alternatives and renewable substitutes regardless of scale must come in haste to produce sustainable options to tipping the scales back in the favor of global continuity.

Wastewater treatment processes have the immense potential to contribute to the global effort to minimize carbon emissions through the generation of sustainable energy. The combination of commercial and organic byproducts generated by wastewater treatment facilities contains significant amounts of potential energy waiting to be converted back into usable forms such as biogas and biodiesel. This, when executed properly, can be of momentous help in the fight to offset the dependence on the burning of coal and other fossil fuels.

Septic sludge, which contains organic matter, releases methane gas that is highly combustible, enough to power engines and transform to electrical energy when burned. This upcycled energy source, which normally is considered a mere runoff in the treatment process, should be a viable support in powering some of the facility processes alongside the electricity being consumed from the grid. Perimeter lighting and other low-consumption segments can be aimed at as a real beginning. The challenge is to ensure efficiency in processing energy-dense sludge materials.

“Perimeter lighting and other low-consumption segments can be aimed at as a real beginning.”

Another nuisance in the wastewater treatment process is the presence of oil, and in places where proper regulation in the disposal of these commercial byproducts is not strictly implemented, the situation becomes more challenging. This added inconvenience ultimately leads to the need for more chemicals for dosing, more time in processing raw water, and even clogging of the sewer network when these oils and grease solidify, all of which need more energy to address. Transesterification is a relatively simple process of transforming used cooking oil to biodiesel, which badly needs attention to gain a relative share in powering our gas-hungry millennia, such as fueling a fleet of service vehicles or smaller pumps.

It has become imperative to explore supplemental technologies for energy generation as one of the more exciting masterplans, as failure comes with dire consequences. Wastewater treatment facilities can serve far more than just cleaning used water before being discharged back into the natural water system. With inventive minds and the proper support system, these facilities, given the systems are deployed on a big enough scale, can even generate revenue by producing energy from the raw materials they receive. At the very least, the power to be generated can be utilized to lower the consumption from the conventional grid or gas stations.

Both approaches have genuine appeal as these generation cycles may never cease for as long as natural human activity occurs. Though not really new, the implementation of these initiatives must have some legitimate and concrete traction from both the private and governmental sectors, and the community in general, to become rich enough that it transcends beyond being just a story about companies’ sustainability efforts. In these instances, an approach to eliminating the problem altogether should be spotlighted instead of merely coming up with a list of solutions.