Dr A. Gangagni Rao
High rate biomethanation of food waste (FW) with anaerobic gas lift reactor (AGR) for the simultaneous generation of biogas and bio-manure was examined in laboratory scale reactors. The experimentations divulged that, FW having an average total solids (TS) and volatile solids (VS) in the range of 15 to 18 % and 10 to 14%, yielded biogas of 0.5 to 0.6 m3/(kg VS reduced) and bio-manure of 0.3 to 0.4 kg/(kg FW). M/s Ahuja Engineering Services Pvt.Ltd, Hyderabad has installed a plant at one of the kitchens of AkshayaPatra Foundation at Bellary, Karnataka for the generation of biogas and bio-manure from the FW. The plant is based on AGR – a high rate biomethanation technology developed by CSIR-IICT and the aim of this plant is to serve a sustainable technology to provide a scientific waste disposal system to the kitchen FW as well as to utilize the clean fuel (biogas) produced as a cooking fuel to replace LPG. Aproximately1000 kg of food waste and 500 litres of organic wastewater (boiled rice water/gruel water) are used for the generation of 80 to 100 m3 of biogas per day to replace 40 to 50kg of LPG.
