Demonstrating the Potential for On-Site Electricity Generation from Food Waste Using Containerized Anaerobic Digestion Units
Demonstrating a rapidly deployable decentralized AD solution as a potentially compelling alternative to large-scale AD facilities.
Regents of the University of California, Davis
Recipient
Davis, CA
Recipient Location
3rd
Senate District
4th
Assembly District
$2,190,364
Amount Spent
Active
Project Status
Project Update
After equipment was delivered to the Oxnard site in September 2020, the project team worked with the City of Oxnard to address site permitting challenges. As of April 2023, the project has received permit approval and the anaerobic digester equipment has been installed and connected. After final permit approvals and commissioning, the digester is expected to be operational by Spring 2024, which will allow the project team to begin collecting data on energy efficiency and digestate production.
The Issue
The common model for managing food waste generally involves disposal in a landfill where the organic material releases methane gas (a greenhouse gas with 25 times the global warming potential of carbon dioxide) to the atmosphere as it degrades. The conversion of food waste to electricity and heat via anaerobic digestion (AD) provides a promising alternative solution to the current model, but large-scale centralized facilities require expensive and carbon-emitting transportation of food waste over long distances from its source, and small scale decentralized AD systems have not been well-demonstrated in California.
Project Innovation
This project assesses the potential for a highly standardized and rapidly deployable decentralized AD solution as a compelling alternative to large-scale centralized AD facilities. By implementing on-site AD at locations where food waste is generated and electricity demand exists, it is possible to reduce or avoid 1) the consumption of non-renewable electricity, 2) the transmission and distribution (T&D) losses associated with the delivery of electricity across long distances on the regional grid, and 3) the transport costs (inclusive of the monetary, environmental, and public health costs) of hauling food waste long distances to feed larger AD generators.
Project Benefits
This project addresses the knowledge gap regarding the optimal scale for the deployment and use of AD technology to convert food waste into renewable electricity, heat, and fertilizer. To meet this need, researchers will perform techno-economic and environmental assessments of increased deployment of micro-scale AD systems across the state. Researchers will also develop new information about the performance variability of micro-scale AD systems relative to fluctuating and heterogeneous food waste feedstock inputs.
Affordability
The small-scale, on-site AD system will directly avoid the long-term costs of electricity supply expansion. The pilot unit is expected to reduce the cold storage facility's net peak demand on the SCE grid by 53 kW, approximately saving $64,752 a year, or $152/MWh. By disposing the food waste onsite and locally (within 7 miles) instead of transporting it to landfills, food waste producers can avoid a total tipping fee of $72,236.
Environmental Sustainability
This project will reduce the amount of food waste going to landfills by about 1,220 tons of municipal food waste per year locally. The technology will avoid an estimated 427.2 metric tons of CO2 emissions per year. Implementing on-site AD at locations where food waste is generated and electricity demand exists would reduce the consumption of non-renewable electricity, line losses of delivering electricity, and emissions from long-hauling food waste.
Reliability
Onsite sustainable and flexible energy generation will be able to reduce the facility’s peak load and potentially minimize the impact of unexpected power outages.
Key Project Members
Jill Brigham
Subrecipients
Biodico, Inc.
Match Partners
The Regents of the University of California on behalf of the Davis Campus
Biodico, Inc.
