An Australian led-project to turn
1.4 million
tonnes of Chinese pig poo into alternative energy and fertiliser
has been hailed in a national science award.
|
| Giant pig waste biogas plant - artist impression |
The project, run by the Adelaide-based Cooperative Research Centre
for Contamination Assessment and Remediation of the Environment
(CRC CARE), Chinese firm HLM Asia PL and Huazhong University of
Science and Technology, has developed technology for treating one
of the world’s largest and smelliest waste disposal
problems.
The technology has been trademarked as pooCARE™. It has been
demonstrated in the field and is now being scaled up to treat large
volumes of waste from many piggeries.
Prof. Naidu, Managing Director, CRC CARE, says that the demonstration biodigester can:
- remediate 200 tonnes of piggery waste daily (73,000 tonnes annually)
- produce 380 cubic metres of biogas daily, worth around A$41,000 a year as a heating fuel
- produce 5,600 tonnes of fertiliser worth A$550,000 per year.
CRC CARE has also been working with the pork industry in
Australia, including the Pork CRC, to transfer the biodigester
technology from China to farms in Australia. This will enable
Australian piggeries to gain a new income stream from their waste,
which will help support farm operations, grow algae and produce
biochar to provide soil nutrients, and increase the sequestration
of carbon in soil.
“Pig poo might seem like simple stuff, but it creates a very
complex set of environmental problems, which I am pleased to say
the CRC CARE/China team has managed to overcome with some lateral
thinking and sound, practical, affordable technologies,” he
says.
The project involved collaborations with a number of Australian and
Chinese small to medium enterprises and its technology is likely to
be taken up internationally in countries such as India, as well as
in Australia and China.
More information:
Prof. Ravi Naidu, Managing Director, CRC CARE, +61 (0)8 8302 5041
or 0407 720 257
Adam Barclay, Communication Manager, CRC CARE, +61 (0)8 8302 3925
or +61 429 779 228
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