The biomass from animal waste includes waste from intensive livestock operations, from poultry farms, pig farms, cattle farms and slaughterhouses. Animal wastes represent a vast untapped source of energy and nutrients which can be recycled by the use of bio-conversion processes.
There are a wide range of animal wastes that can be used as sources of biomass energy. In the past, this waste (manure) was recovered and sold as a fertilizer or simply spread onto agricultural fields. The introduction of tighter environmental controls on odor and water pollution is now requiring some form of waste management, which provides further incentives for waste-to-energy conversion.
The most promising method of converting these animal waste materials to a useful product is Anaerobic Digestion. The produced biogas that can be upgrade into biomethane and used as a renewable “green” energy resource for gas grid injection, production of electricity, for heating/cooling or even burnt directly for cooking.
The growing usage of waste-to-energy technologies as a method for value-added disposal of solid and liquid manure, and as an attractive option to generate energy, fuels and heat, has significantly reduced environmental impacts. A shift from conventional energy production, from mostly fossil resources, including oil and coal, to one based on renewable resources is necessary to meet the ever-increasing demand for energy and to combat environmental issues, global warming and climate change.
Global Warming & Climate Change
Human actions have made global warming and climate change a global threat. The growing amounts of CO2 and other greenhouse gases have caused an increase in average global temperatures, extreme weather events and rising sea levels. These changes are directly and indirectly affecting all kind of life forms on earth. The pollution of air, land, and water through excessive deforestation, industrialization and overfilling landfills which emits CO2 and adds to greenhouse gas emissions are the topmost reasons of these environmental issues.