Strengthening the Environmental Benefits of Anaerobic Digestors
The global anaerobic digestion (AD) industry has expanded rapidly over the past 15 years and is often promoted as a climate mitigation solution because it provides renewable alternatives to fossil-derived energy, processes organic wastes that would otherwise emit methane directly into the atmosphere, generates economic value through energy and fuel production, and produces nutrient-rich by-products that can replace synthetic fertilizers. However, the GHG mitigation benefits of AD systems are contingent on minimizing methane emissions across the AD value chain, which occur due to inadequate or poor operational practices, technology limitations, and/or equipment leaks.
In order to propose action to strengthen the environmental benefits of AD systems, this report aims to:
- Identify methane-emitting equipment and processes within AD systems;
- Assess methane measurement, monitoring, reporting, and verification (MMRV) frameworks from regulators and key stakeholders that are applicable to AD systems; and
- Evaluate the effectiveness of MMRV in ensuring that AD systems deliver real climate and environmental benefits.
