Co-digestion of fat, oil, grease (FOG) with municipal wastewater sludge for enhanced biogas production in Okanagan Valley

近年来，从餐馆、商业厨房和食品服务提供商排放的脂肪、油和油脂（FOG）已成为Okanagan的主要有机废物流。从历史上看，从安装在产生点的隔油池收集的FOG的主要处置方法是直接排放到城市污水处理厂（WWTP）或垃圾填埋场，然而，由于对运营的负面影响（例如，管道/人孔堵塞导致溢出），许多废物处理设施正在限制FOG处置。在Okanagan的一些城市，处置选择将很快限于从温哥华大都会地区雇用一个经过认证的废物收集站，收集废物，然后运输到温哥华，在安纳伯格岛污水处理厂进行厌氧共消化。这将增加温室气体排放量，并对运输道路基础设施产生影响（往返约800公里）。厌氧消化池是一种将有机废弃物（基质）转化为沼气的加热/混合生物反应器，本实验的主要目的是研究FOG作为共基质在不同结构的厌氧消化池中利用该地区污水处理厂污泥的效果。当地的废水处理设施一直在考虑厌氧消化（作为目前堆肥工艺的替代方法），以产生沼气，并提高生物固体的质量，作为肥料应用于土地。在污水处理厂污泥中添加FOG可以提高沼气产量，提高成本效益。如果实验室规模的结果表明，一个显着的优势，目前的污泥处理/处置方案，公用事业公司将有选择，将使用FOG作为一个共同的基板在厌氧消化，并将受益于增加沼气生产，允许使用热电联产发动机，以显着抵消污水处理厂的能源使用。该项目还将提供一种环境可持续的FOG处置方法，并将在重要/期望的领域培训高素质的人员。

In recent years, fat, oil and grease (FOG) discharged from restaurants, commercial kitchens and food serviceproviders has become a major organic waste stream in the Okanagan. Historically, the primary method fordisposal of FOG collected from grease traps installed at the point of generation was to discharge directly intothe municipal wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) or at landfills, however many waste treatment utilities aremoving forward with restricting FOG disposal due to negative impacts on operations (e.g. pipe/manholeblockages causing overflows). In some municipalities in the Okanagan, disposal options will soon be limited tohiring a certified waste hauler from the Metro Vancouver area to collect waste for transport to Vancouver foranaerobic co-digestion at Annacis Island WWTP. This will increase GHG emissions and impacts on roadinfrastructure for transport (around 800 km round trip). Anaerobic digester is a heated/mixed bioreactor whereorganic waste (substrate) is converted to renewable energy in the form of biogas.The main objective of this experimental research is to investigate the effect of FOG as a co-substrate invarious configurations of bench-scale anaerobic digesters utilizing wastewater sludge from WWTPs in theregion. The local wastewater utilities have been considering anaerobic digestion (as an alternative to currentcomposting process) for biogas generation and improved quality of biosolids for land application as fertilizer. Itis expected that addition of FOG to wastewater treatment sludge would boost biogas production and increasecost efficiency. If laboratory scale results indicate a significant advantage over the current sludgetreatment/disposal scenario, the utilities will have the option to incorporate the use of FOG as a co-substrate inanaerobic digestion and will benefit from an increased biogas production allowing the use of a co-generationengine to significantly offset the WWTP's energy use. The project will also provide an environmentallysustainable method for FOG disposal and will train highly qualified personal in an important/desired field.