Developing a suite of novel land conditioners and plant fertilisers from the waste streams of biomass energy generation

不同形式的生物质在生产可持续能源方面正变得越来越重要；重要的例子包括气化和厌氧消化(AD)，仅AD就有可能提供超过40TWh的可再生能源，相当于英国国内天然气需求的10%以上。因此，发电产生的废物，包括灰烬和垃圾，正在大量产生，而且这种情况很可能会增长。来自气化厂的灰烬的主要处置途径是灰泻湖和垃圾填埋场；而来自厌氧消化的消化液通常被免费处置到陆地上。然而，面对日益增加的环境资源压力、不断增加的垃圾填埋税和随之而来的垃圾最小化立法，废物再利用的替代选择越来越多。以前的研究表明，生物质灰和沼气可以在营养有限的条件下成为作物的有用营养来源。尽管灰分几乎不含氮，但它含有丰富的微观和宏观营养物质。同时，厌氧消化是微量金属和氮的丰富来源，以及相对稳定的碳的形式，这可能会改善土壤结构，增强土壤中的碳固存。因此，如果结合起来，可以假设火山灰和沼气的混合物可以被视为全面的养分提供者和土壤改良剂。该项目试图从生物质能源产生的火山灰和沼气废液中开发一套新型的土壤改良剂和植物肥料。利用厌氧消化和气化技术利用生物质进行商业规模的能源生产是一个快速增长的行业，预计到2020年将产生15%的英国能源需求。该提案支持从根本上改变生物质能源生产商支持循环经济的方式，并促进将商业想法与积极的环境效益相结合的新方法。它将支持一项范围研究，该研究将为多方利益攸关方研究确定一条综合途径，为有效实施和吸收新的土壤调理废物流奠定基础。

The use of different forms of biomass is becoming more important in the production of sustainable forms of energy; important examples include gasification and anaerobic digestion (AD)AD alone has the potential to deliver over 40TWh of renewable energy, equivalent to over 10% of the UK's domestic gas demand. As such, waste from energy generation, including ashes and digestate, are being produced in large volumes and this is likely to grow. The dominant disposal route for ash from gasification plants is to ash lagoons and landfill; whilst digestates, derived from anaerobic digestion, are typically disposed of to land at no cost. However, in the face of rising pressures on environmental resources, rising landfill taxes and accompanying waste-minimisation legislation, alternative options for waste reuse are increasingly being sought.Previous studies have demonstrated that biomass-ash and digestate can be useful nutrient sources for crop plants in nutrient limited conditions. Although virtually nitrogen free, ash is rich in many micro- and macro-nutrients. Whilst, anaerobic digestate is a rich source of trace metals and nitrogen, as well as relatively stable forms of C, which may improve soil structure and enhance C-sequestration within soil. Therefore, if combined, it is hypothesised that the mixtures of ash and digestate may be regarded as comprehensive nutrient providers and soil conditioners.This project seeks to develop a suite of novel soil conditioners and plant fertilisers from ash and digestate waste streams originating from biomass energy generation. Commercial scale energy generation from biomass, using anaerobic digestion and gasification technology is a rapidly growing sector and is forecast to generate 15% of the UK's energy demand by 2020. This proposal supports a radical change in the way that biomass energy producers can support a circular economy and facilitates new ways to mesh commercial ideas with positive environmental benefits. It would support a scopingstudy that would define an integrated pathway for multi-stakeholder research that underpins effective implementation and uptake of a new waste stream for soil conditioning.