INNOVATION AND TECHNOLOGY TRANSFER IN ENERGY RECOVERY SYSTEMS FROM AGRO-ZOOTECHNICAL WASTE

Abstract

Romania benefits from adequate geo- climatic conditions that allow for the development of a complex agriculture; the share of Romanian agriculture in the national GDP of 4.8% is the highest in Europe, compared to the average of 1.3% in the EU-28 countries. Agriculture and agro-industries generate huge amounts of solid organic waste, sludge and wastewaters that can be used in the energy sector for biogas production, thus providing energy bioresources without creating political and economic controversies regarding the use of agricultural land for the production of biofuels in the detriment of food. This paper proposes innovative ideas of non-polluting technologies for the recovery of agro-zootechnical waste in decentralized biogas systems. The referred technologies are the result of some experimental research carried out by INCDIE ICPE-CA specialists within national and bilateral research projects; these achievements are intended to be applied for waste water treatment and organic sludge neutralization or transferred to beneficiaries from rural areas. Innovative elements that ensure an advanced recovery of the organic component and the production of biogas with high energy value are presented. Also, the paper makes a brief analysis of the economic, social and environmental benefits that such systems can bring to rural communities and companies generating organic waste. Finally, the results regarding technology transfer to the producer, and the main barriers responsible for the very slow growth of biogas technologies in regions with high agricultural potential are pointed out.

Keywords

• energy recovery
• biogas
• waste