The biological process of microbial methanogenesis can occur where organic matter accumulates, such as in animal digestive tracts and in river sediments, under anaerobic conditions (Chynoweth 1996). Wastewater treatment has used methanogenesis, producing methane CH4, for over 150 years in the digestion of biosolids (Rittmann 2008). Interest in methane production by bacterial fermentation as a source of fuel has progressed since the issues of oil security in the 1970s (Logan 2004, Benemann, Weissman, Koopman and Oswald 1977).

Sources and Supply of Substrate

Yadvika and colleagues, in a review quoted by Antoni, Zverlov and Schwarz (2007) state the choice of substrate as organic household or industrial waste, commercial energy plant life and plant biomass. Specific substrates include household food waste and garden waste, municipal solid waste, sewage sludge and wastewater, industrial recycling of paper, agricultural and food production waste including fats from abattoirs and factories and manure from horses, pigs, cows and chickens. Energy crops considered suitable for adding purely or mixing with organic waste to produce biogas are clover, grass, young poplar and willow trees and maize (Antoni et al. 2007) although there are arguments against growing new biomass when waste plant materials is available.

Appropriate substrate for bacterial fermentation to produce methane is available and accessible. A general point is that quality control procedures will be required to ensure, what Antoni calls “a homogenous quality of substrate” entering bacterial fermentation processes. The lack of a substrate quality control system will limit the effectiveness and efficiency of methane production towards fuel.

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