IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/eee/appene/v278y2020ics0306261920311156.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

High-solid anaerobic digestion of sewage sludge: challenges and opportunities

Author

Listed:
  • Di Capua, Francesco
  • Spasiano, Danilo
  • Giordano, Andrea
  • Adani, Fabrizio
  • Fratino, Umberto
  • Pirozzi, Francesco
  • Esposito, Giovanni

Abstract

High-solid anaerobic digestion (HSAD) of sewage sludge is a promising alternative to conventional anaerobic digestion (AD) as it reduces treatment volumes, transportation costs and energy consumption for heating and increases the fertilizing potential of sewage sludge. By centralizing sludge treatment, HSAD represents an opportunity to improve the energy balance of sewage sludge valorization compared to conventional AD. Nevertheless, HSAD of sewage sludge poses several challenges due to structural and rheological characteristics of dewatered sludge and to toxic compounds originating during (H2S, NH3, siloxanes, volatile organic compounds) and before (polyelectrolytes added prior to dewatering) the anaerobic treatment. This work critically reviews HSAD of sewage sludge with the objective to promote process enhancement for energy self-sufficiency and good practices for agricultural utilization of digestate. Advantages and drawbacks of HSAD are discussed in depth and practical solutions to solve critical issues at full scale are proposed. Guidelines for conducting cost-benefit analysis of the process are also provided.

Suggested Citation

  • Di Capua, Francesco & Spasiano, Danilo & Giordano, Andrea & Adani, Fabrizio & Fratino, Umberto & Pirozzi, Francesco & Esposito, Giovanni, 2020. "High-solid anaerobic digestion of sewage sludge: challenges and opportunities," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 278(C).
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:appene:v:278:y:2020:i:c:s0306261920311156
    DOI: 10.1016/j.apenergy.2020.115608
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0306261920311156
    Download Restriction: Full text for ScienceDirect subscribers only
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1016/j.apenergy.2020.115608?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    As the access to this document is restricted, you may want to search for a different version of it.

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Rasi, S. & Veijanen, A. & Rintala, J., 2007. "Trace compounds of biogas from different biogas production plants," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 32(8), pages 1375-1380.
    2. Rasi, Saija & Lehtinen, Jenni & Rintala, Jukka, 2010. "Determination of organic silicon compounds in biogas from wastewater treatments plants, landfills, and co-digestion plants," Renewable Energy, Elsevier, vol. 35(12), pages 2666-2673.
    3. Pipatmanomai, Suneerat & Kaewluan, Sommas & Vitidsant, Tharapong, 2009. "Economic assessment of biogas-to-electricity generation system with H2S removal by activated carbon in small pig farm," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 86(5), pages 669-674, May.
    4. Capson-Tojo, G. & Moscoviz, R. & Astals, S. & Robles, Á. & Steyer, J.-P., 2020. "Unraveling the literature chaos around free ammonia inhibition in anaerobic digestion," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 117(C).
    5. Osorio, F. & Torres, J.C., 2009. "Biogas purification from anaerobic digestion in a wastewater treatment plant for biofuel production," Renewable Energy, Elsevier, vol. 34(10), pages 2164-2171.
    6. Ariunbaatar, Javkhlan & Panico, Antonio & Esposito, Giovanni & Pirozzi, Francesco & Lens, Piet N.L., 2014. "Pretreatment methods to enhance anaerobic digestion of organic solid waste," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 123(C), pages 143-156.
    7. Singh, Buta & Szamosi, Zoltán & Siménfalvi, Zoltán, 2019. "State of the art on mixing in an anaerobic digester: A review," Renewable Energy, Elsevier, vol. 141(C), pages 922-936.
    8. Zhen, Guangyin & Lu, Xueqin & Kato, Hiroyuki & Zhao, Youcai & Li, Yu-You, 2017. "Overview of pretreatment strategies for enhancing sewage sludge disintegration and subsequent anaerobic digestion: Current advances, full-scale application and future perspectives," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 69(C), pages 559-577.
    9. Yuan, Haiping & Zhu, Nanwen, 2016. "Progress in inhibition mechanisms and process control of intermediates and by-products in sewage sludge anaerobic digestion," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 58(C), pages 429-438.
    10. Maria Cristina Collivignarelli & Alessandro Abbà & Andrea Frattarola & Marco Carnevale Miino & Sergio Padovani & Ioannis Katsoyiannis & Vincenzo Torretta, 2019. "Legislation for the Reuse of Biosolids on Agricultural Land in Europe: Overview," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 11(21), pages 1-22, October.
    11. Westerholm, Maria & Moestedt, Jan & Schnürer, Anna, 2016. "Biogas production through syntrophic acetate oxidation and deliberate operating strategies for improved digester performance," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 179(C), pages 124-135.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Citations

    Citations are extracted by the CitEc Project, subscribe to its RSS feed for this item.
    as


    Cited by:

    1. Raffaele Morello & Francesco Di Capua & Ludovico Pontoni & Stefano Papirio & Danilo Spasiano & Umberto Fratino & Francesco Pirozzi & Giovanni Esposito, 2021. "Microaerobic Digestion of Low-Biodegradable Sewage Sludge: Effect of Air Dosing in Batch Reactors," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(17), pages 1-11, September.
    2. Tian, Wenjing & Li, Jianhao & Zhu, Lirong & Li, Wen & He, Linyan & Gu, Li & Deng, Rui & Shi, Dezhi & Chai, Hongxiang & Gao, Meng, 2021. "Insights of enhancing methane production under high-solid anaerobic digestion of wheat straw by calcium peroxide pretreatment and zero valent iron addition," Renewable Energy, Elsevier, vol. 177(C), pages 1321-1332.
    3. Rosa M. Llácer-Iglesias & P. Amparo López-Jiménez & Modesto Pérez-Sánchez, 2021. "Energy Self-Sufficiency Aiming for Sustainable Wastewater Systems: Are All Options Being Explored?," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(10), pages 1-20, May.
    4. Marcin Zieliński & Marcin Dębowski & Joanna Kazimierowicz, 2021. "The Effect of Static Magnetic Field on Methanogenesis in the Anaerobic Digestion of Municipal Sewage Sludge," Energies, MDPI, vol. 14(3), pages 1-16, January.
    5. Marcin Dębowski & Marcin Zieliński & Joanna Kazimierowicz & Anna Nowicka & Magda Dudek, 2024. "Optimisation of Biogas Production in the Co-Digestion of Pre-Hydrodynamically Cavitated Aerobic Granular Sludge with Waste Fats," Energies, MDPI, vol. 17(4), pages 1-16, February.
    6. German Smetana & Ewa Neczaj & Anna Grosser, 2021. "Biomethane Potential of Selected Organic Waste and Sewage Sludge at Different Temperature Regimes," Energies, MDPI, vol. 14(14), pages 1-18, July.
    7. Ombretta Paladino, 2022. "Data Driven Modelling and Control Strategies to Improve Biogas Quality and Production from High Solids Anaerobic Digestion: A Mini Review," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(24), pages 1-21, December.
    8. Li, Wangliang & Gupta, Rohit & Zhang, Zhikai & Cao, Lixia & Li, Yanqing & Show, Pau Loke & Gupta, Vijai Kumar & Kumar, Sunil & Lin, Kun-Yi Andrew & Varjani, Sunita & Connelly, Stephanie & You, Siming, 2023. "A review of high-solid anaerobic digestion (HSAD): From transport phenomena to process design," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 180(C).
    9. Mariusz Tańczuk & Wojciech Kostowski, 2021. "Technical, Energetic and Economic Optimization Analysis of Selection of Heat Source for Municipal Sewage Sludge Dryer," Energies, MDPI, vol. 14(2), pages 1-16, January.
    10. Wang, Zhongzhong & Hu, Yuansheng & Wang, Shun & Wu, Guangxue & Zhan, Xinmin, 2023. "A critical review on dry anaerobic digestion of organic waste: Characteristics, operational conditions, and improvement strategies," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 176(C).
    11. Zhao, Jiamin & Hou, Tingting & Wang, Qian & Zhang, Zhenya & Lei, Zhongfang & Shimizu, Kazuya & Guo, Wenshan & Ngo, Huu Hao, 2021. "Application of biogas recirculation in anaerobic granular sludge system for multifunctional sewage sludge management with high efficacy energy recovery," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 298(C).
    12. Chen, Rui & Zhou, Jialiang & Zheng, Xin & Jiang, Lingwei & Duan, Na, 2023. "Unveiling the synergy of Chlorella sp. and cattle manure co-digestion under high feeding load," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 270(C).
    13. Jiawen Zhang & Zhiyi Liang & Toru Matsumoto & Tiejia Zhang, 2022. "Environmental and Economic Implication of Implementation Scale of Sewage Sludge Recycling Systems Considering Carbon Trading Price," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(14), pages 1-16, July.
    14. Adam Masłoń & Joanna Czarnota & Aleksandra Szaja & Joanna Szulżyk-Cieplak & Grzegorz Łagód, 2020. "The Enhancement of Energy Efficiency in a Wastewater Treatment Plant through Sustainable Biogas Use: Case Study from Poland," Energies, MDPI, vol. 13(22), pages 1-21, November.
    15. Santo Fabio Corsino & Michele Torregrossa & Gaspare Viviani, 2021. "Biomethane Production from Anaerobic Co-Digestion of Selected Organic Fraction of Municipal Solid Waste (OFMSW) with Sewage Sludge: Effect of the Inoculum to Substrate Ratio (ISR) and Mixture Composit," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(24), pages 1-12, December.
    16. Joanna Kazimierowicz & Izabela Bartkowska & Maria Walery, 2020. "Effect of Low-Temperature Conditioning of Excess Dairy Sewage Sludge with the Use of Solidified Carbon Dioxide on the Efficiency of Methane Fermentation," Energies, MDPI, vol. 14(1), pages 1-13, December.
    17. Nicola Di Costanzo & Alessandra Cesaro & Francesco Di Capua & Giovanni Esposito, 2021. "Exploiting the Nutrient Potential of Anaerobically Digested Sewage Sludge: A Review," Energies, MDPI, vol. 14(23), pages 1-25, December.

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Zhang, Yuyao & Kawasaki, Yu & Oshita, Kazuyuki & Takaoka, Masaki & Minami, Daisuke & Inoue, Go & Tanaka, Toshihiro, 2021. "Economic assessment of biogas purification systems for removal of both H2S and siloxane from biogas," Renewable Energy, Elsevier, vol. 168(C), pages 119-130.
    2. Vita, A. & Italiano, C. & Previtali, D. & Fabiano, C. & Palella, A. & Freni, F. & Bozzano, G. & Pino, L. & Manenti, F., 2018. "Methanol synthesis from biogas: A thermodynamic analysis," Renewable Energy, Elsevier, vol. 118(C), pages 673-684.
    3. Nicola Di Costanzo & Alessandra Cesaro & Francesco Di Capua & Giovanni Esposito, 2021. "Exploiting the Nutrient Potential of Anaerobically Digested Sewage Sludge: A Review," Energies, MDPI, vol. 14(23), pages 1-25, December.
    4. Tiwari, Prince & Wang, Tiantian & Indlekofer, Julian & El Haddad, Imad & Biollaz, Serge & Prevot, Andre Stephan Henry & Lamkaddam, Houssni, 2022. "Online detection of trace volatile organic sulfur compounds in a complex biogas mixture with proton-transfer-reaction mass spectrometry," Renewable Energy, Elsevier, vol. 196(C), pages 1197-1203.
    5. Bi, Shaojie & Westerholm, Maria & Hu, Wanrong & Mahdy, Ahmed & Dong, Taili & Sun, Yingcai & Qiao, Wei & Dong, Renjie, 2021. "The metabolic performance and microbial communities of anaerobic digestion of chicken manure under stressed ammonia condition: A case study of a 10-year successful biogas plant," Renewable Energy, Elsevier, vol. 167(C), pages 644-651.
    6. El Ibrahimi, Mohammed & Khay, Ismail & El Maakoul, Anas & Bakhouya, Mohamed, 2022. "Effects of the temperature range on the energy performance of mixed and unmixed digesters with submerged waste: An experimental and CFD simulation study," Renewable Energy, Elsevier, vol. 200(C), pages 1092-1104.
    7. Rasi, S. & Seppälä, M. & Rintala, J., 2013. "Organic silicon compounds in biogases produced from grass silage, grass and maize in laboratory batch assays," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 52(C), pages 137-142.
    8. Brémond, Ulysse & de Buyer, Raphaëlle & Steyer, Jean-Philippe & Bernet, Nicolas & Carrere, Hélène, 2018. "Biological pretreatments of biomass for improving biogas production: an overview from lab scale to full-scale," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 90(C), pages 583-604.
    9. Oluwafunmilayo Abiola Aworanti & Oluseye Omotoso Agbede & Samuel Enahoro Agarry & Ayobami Olu Ajani & Oyetola Ogunkunle & Opeyeolu Timothy Laseinde & S. M. Ashrafur Rahman & Islam Md Rizwanul Fattah, 2023. "Decoding Anaerobic Digestion: A Holistic Analysis of Biomass Waste Technology, Process Kinetics, and Operational Variables," Energies, MDPI, vol. 16(8), pages 1-36, April.
    10. Chatree Wattanasilp & Roongrojana Songprakorp & Annop Nopharatana & Charoenchai Khompatraporn, 2021. "Techno-Cost-Benefit Analysis of Biogas Production from Industrial Cassava Starch Wastewater in Thailand for Optimal Utilization with Energy Storage," Energies, MDPI, vol. 14(2), pages 1-22, January.
    11. Dalke, Rachel & Demro, Delaney & Khalid, Yusra & Wu, Haoran & Urgun-Demirtas, Meltem, 2021. "Current status of anaerobic digestion of food waste in the United States," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 151(C).
    12. Wang, Zhongzhong & Hu, Yuansheng & Wang, Shun & Wu, Guangxue & Zhan, Xinmin, 2023. "A critical review on dry anaerobic digestion of organic waste: Characteristics, operational conditions, and improvement strategies," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 176(C).
    13. Kadam, Rahul & Panwar, N.L., 2017. "Recent advancement in biogas enrichment and its applications," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 73(C), pages 892-903.
    14. Hwijin Seo & Anna Joicy & Myoung Eun Lee & Chaeyoung Rhee & Seung Gu Shin & Si-Kyung Cho & Yongtae Ahn, 2023. "Development of a Primary Sewage Sludge Pretreatment Strategy Using a Combined Alkaline–Ultrasound Pretreatment for Enhancing Microbial Electrolysis Cell Performance," Energies, MDPI, vol. 16(10), pages 1-14, May.
    15. Ma, Chaonan & Liu, Jianyong & Ye, Min & Zou, Lianpei & Qian, Guangren & Li, Yu-You, 2018. "Towards utmost bioenergy conversion efficiency of food waste: Pretreatment, co-digestion, and reactor type," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 90(C), pages 700-709.
    16. Rey, M.D. & Font, R. & Aracil, I., 2013. "Biogas from MSW landfill: Composition and determination of chlorine content with the AOX (adsorbable organically bound halogens) technique," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 63(C), pages 161-167.
    17. Ma, Shuaishuai & Li, Yuling & Li, Jingxue & Yu, Xiaona & Cui, Zongjun & Yuan, Xufeng & Zhu, Wanbin & Wang, Hongliang, 2022. "Features of single and combined technologies for lignocellulose pretreatment to enhance biomethane production," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 165(C).
    18. Elagroudy, S. & Radwan, A.G. & Banadda, N. & Mostafa, Nagwan G. & Owusu, P.A. & Janajreh, I., 2020. "Mathematical models comparison of biogas production from anaerobic digestion of microwave pretreated mixed sludge," Renewable Energy, Elsevier, vol. 155(C), pages 1009-1020.
    19. Stanisław Wacławek & Klaudiusz Grübel & Daniele Silvestri & Vinod V. T. Padil & Maria Wacławek & Miroslav Černík & Rajender S. Varma, 2018. "Disintegration of Wastewater Activated Sludge (WAS) for Improved Biogas Production," Energies, MDPI, vol. 12(1), pages 1-15, December.
    20. Papadias, Dionissios D. & Ahmed, Shabbir & Kumar, Romesh, 2012. "Fuel quality issues with biogas energy – An economic analysis for a stationary fuel cell system," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 44(1), pages 257-277.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:eee:appene:v:278:y:2020:i:c:s0306261920311156. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Catherine Liu (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.elsevier.com/wps/find/journaldescription.cws_home/405891/description#description .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.