Anaerobic
digestion technology provides a new approach to treat organic waste while
generating greenhouse gas(GHG) savings. Moreover, the
methane gas produced during the process can be used to generate electricity. In order to ensure that Australia stays on its
trajectory towards a carbon neutral future, the use of anaerobic digestion technology to treat its abundant organic
waste streams should be considered. Thirty million tonnes(Mt) of organic waste was produced in 2017. The use of
anaerobic digestion to treat 1 tonne of waste could result in 0.143 tonne of
CO2-e in GHG savings. In contrast, other more widely employed waste
disposal methods such as landfilling, composting and incineration may generate GHG emissions. Additionally, the use
of methane for electricity production also generates the least GHG emissions
per MWh. This is approximately 3 times
lower than crude oil, 4 times lower than black coal and 5 times lower than brown coal. However, the adoption and
implementation of anaerobic digestion technology in Australia face several
immediate constraints. Firstly, anaerobic digestion technology is deemed
unprofitable, incurring
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