Investigating the feasibility of biomethane production and nutrient recovery from aquaponics-derived sludge

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Aquaponics is an efficient and environmentally friendly combination of aquaculture and hydroponics systems. It is a beneficial and sustainable approach to reduce water and nutrient consumption. Aquaponics technology, as a sustainable way to organically grow fresh fish and vegetables, is significantly growing and developing in Canada. In cold climates such as Canada, that will mean a more profitable use of greenhouses. Discharging the fish sludge into the local sewer system is the main disposal methods of waste from aquaponics in Canada. These methods are associated with significant cost and environmental concerns in terms of the water pollution and the emission of greenhouse gases. Anaerobic digestion of fish sludge from aquaponics systems is an appealing alternative as it can be cost-effective and energy efficient for the disposal of organic wastes. Moreover, the increased demand for the production of renewable energy in Canada has brought the application of anaerobic digestion for biomethane production to the forefront. The proposed research in collaboration with Green Relief aims to introduce anaerobic digestion as a cost-effective and energy-efficient alternative method for waste disposal from Canadian aquaponics. Although the outcome of this research will primarily benefit Green Relief by providing the fundamental and applied information required to achieve the optimum energy and nutrient recovery from aquaponics-derived wastes, it is also applicable to other aquaponics systems across Canada. This will result in the expansion of the company's business market in Canada leading to an increase in employment. Therefore, research projects similar to this with a focus on the production of renewable energy and value-added products in aquaponics systems are likely to create major green energy revenues in the long term in Canada, as green energy from organic wastes gets more attention both federally and provincially.