With an ever-growing global population and rising food demands, the Food Processing is also expanding their scope in transforming agricultural products into food, or into other forms. This includes many forms from grinding to sophisticated industrial methods used to make convenience foods.
On the other side, this industry is known to generate more waste than the different types of businesses. Food waste management has become a significant task in food processing facilities as environmental regulations worldwide become more stringent. “Industries that produce large quantities of organic waste, such as the food processing industry, are ideal for biogas production and renewable energy,” says local waste disposal solutions provider Global Energy director Henry Thomson.
Accordingly, the food processing industry is making serious efforts to minimize food waste derived from unused materials. Instead of just placing them in an open area, where it decomposes, Reurasia assists in the utilization of food waste through biogas production.https://reurasia.com/biogas-energy-solutions/
How To Integrate Biogas?
Waste can be produced in a food processing plant in different forms, including solid waste, shells and residues, and liquid waste, such as wastewater and sludge. The causes of food waste or loss are numerous and occur at the stages of production, processing, retail, and consumption.
Food manufacturers have a unique problem. Excess products usually have a relatively short shelf life while most of the waste is organic. These wastes created during the food production process can be turned into animal feed and sold to farms and poultry businesses. Another plausible way of managing organic waste at the food manufacturing plant is to biologically degrade it in an anaerobic digester leading to the formation of energy-rich biogas and digestate.
In the article of Cameron Mackay (2019) entitled “Food processing industry ideal for biogas production,” organic waste, such as those active in the food processing and hospitality industries, can be an excellent source for biogas production. This makes the industry ideal for sustainable energy solutions, which will, in return, give growing benefits.
Food Industry: Potential for Waste to Energy Production
Facing an energy crisis and the continuous rising of environmental degradation, the world needs an efficient and carbon-neutral energy source to replace fossil fuels. Biogas, formed by anaerobic digestion of organic materials, makes sustainable, reliable, renewable energy possible. The security of energy supply, especially sustainable energy, and the reduction of CO2 emissions are priorities worldwide. There is potential for biogas production from food-processing industrial wastes to be the solutions to energy crisis.
The wastes themselves can be treated to minimize the environmental impact, which holds promise for the future. Biogas can be used as a heating fuel in the plant itself or converted into electricity while digestate can be used as a soil conditioner.
Biogas can also be converted into biomethane or bio-CNG for its use as vehicle fuel. Biogas is a renewable and environmentally friendly fuel made from 100% local feedstocks suitable for a diversity of purposes. This includes road vehicle fuel and industrial applications that help create energy crisis solutions.
Renewable Energy Is Politically Demanded
Biogas is one of the most efficient and effective options among the various alternative sources of renewable energy currently available. For companies that produce organic waste, like the Food Processing Industry, solutions are provided. Integrating biogas production is the only sustainable solution to treat waste. This remains a positive outlook for the future of the industry.
Let us help you calculate the viability of future anaerobic digestion projects! We can provide your business with a FREE ESTIMATION by using our free online biogas calculator. Start now so you can take the first step to reduce operational costs!
Sources: https://m.engineeringnews.co.za/article/food-processing-industry-ideal-for-biogas-production-2019-07-30/rep_id:4433
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