“Anaerobic digestion to produce biomethane and quality compost is a process that brings significant benefits on several fronts: it allows the closure of the cycle of differentiated organic fraction, agro- food by-products, livestock manure and sewage sludge; it ensures the return of carbon to the soil to stop desertification; it produces renewable energy, decarbonizes transportation, and combats air pollution and the climate crisis.”
Stefano Ciafani, President of Legambiente (the Italian environmentalist association)
A very strong and decisive statement. Yet part of public opinion is against the construction of these plants.
But what are the critical issues raised?
Below are some objections to which Legambiente has promptly responded, continuing its fight for correct environmental information.
Do biomethane-producing plants cause pollutant emissions?
Biomethane production is structured in two stages:
- The first consists of anaerobic digestion that takes place in a closed environment, in the absence of oxygen and without emissions
- The second is the removal of suspended solids and other gases, which are recovered and destined for the technical gas and food industries, and for the production of materials and are thus not dispersed into the atmosphere
Does biomethane production cause unpleasant odours?
Anaerobic digestion actually consists of sanitizing the feedstock used for biomethane production. This process reduces the formation of unpleasant odours.
Along with biomethane, digestate is also produced; does this element cause pathogenic bacteria to form?
Absolutely not; it’s the opposite. The scientific community has no doubt about this. Anaerobic digestion kills most bacteria that are harmful to humans. Digestate is therefore a safer fertilizer than livestock manure.
These critical issues raised stem from the spread of fake news around the topic of biomethane, but its potential is clear to Legambiente: being an excellent substitute for fossil fuels, it is the solution to reduce gas emissions, the major cause of climate change.
It is one of the greenest available sources we have, an opportunity that we at Cartiere Modesto Cardella must seize and that will also allow rationalizing and reducing energy consumption as well as increasing the percentage of energy from renewable sources. htps://unfakenews.legambiente.it/news/biogas-e-biometano/
https://unfakenews.legambiente.it/news/biogas-e-biometano/
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