Our Services Overview
The Wales Centre of Excellence for Anaerobic Digestion has been formed to provide assistance to all stakeholders with an interest in developing anaerobic digestion facilities in Wales, in particular those which divert waste from landfill disposal. The Centre has been formed within the Sustainable Environment Research Centre at the University of Glamorgan which has been researching, developing and implementing anaerobic treatment systems for over 35 years.
The overall aim of the Centre is to ensure that sufficient treatment capacity is developed within Wales, and that those plants developed are of a technically, environmentally and financially robust nature.
The support that we provide is truly independent. We are not affiliated to any suppliers, manufacturers or technology types. There are many ways to design and operate an AD plant, and each scheme should be evaluated on a case by case basis.
Whilst we aim to provide bespoke assistance to meet your needs, our services can broadly be divided into two key areas.
General Information / Dissemination
Although AD has been widely used within certain industrial sectors in the UK for many years and has a significant track record across Europe the technology is not widely understood by many potential stakeholders i.e. policy markers, planners and regulators, technology and products users and the general public.
As such a significant proportion of our effort will be directed towards disseminating independent and unbiased information relating to AD, much of which will in time be available on this website.
Our services are largely dependant on your needs, but activities which we anticipate undertaking either independently or in consultation with partners include:
- Awareness raising and seminars
- Developing Guidance for AD plant developers
- Developing Best practice for AD operators
- Dissemination of best practice in AD
- Collation of information on AD technology suppliers / contractors which can be widely disseminated
- Developing AD publicity for general public consumption
- Advice on food waste collection, transportation and storage
- Life Cycle Assessment of AD technologies and biogas utilisation
Technical and Analytical Support
It should always be remembered that Anaerobic Digestion is a bio-chemical process and as such a level of technical input and understanding is required at all stages of developing an AD system, from initial concept, through design and planning, construction, commissioning and operation. Again, our services will be tailored to meet your specific needs, however, some broad areas of activity include:
The AD Centre is available to provide technical input into this process.
Laboratory Testing
- Organic waste analysis and characterisation
- Laboratory testing of biodegradability of kitchen waste collection bags
- Digestate analysis
Pilot Scale
- Assessment of digester inhibition (i.e. whether a substance adversely affects a digester)
- Biogas yield / biodegradability studies (laboratory and pilot scale)
- Biogas analysis and biogas utilisation options
- Digestate analysis and quality assessment
Design and Commissioning
- Advice on reactor design and pre and post-treatment stages integration for optimised performance
- Independent design reviews
- Independent support for tender preparation and assessment
- Plant commissioning and start-up
Monitoring and Management Support
- Process monitoring, optimisation and management
- Digester ‘Health Checks’
Feel free to use the Contact Page to get in touch with us with any general or specific enquiries that you might have, or contact us directly by telephone.