Research Poster Session: "Where Are We Now?"
Concurrent poster sessions for state-sponsored research on Beyond Waste Processes / Technologies
The poster sessions in these proceedings (11:00 and 12:45) are organized by topical areas as follows: 1) Biofuels for Transportation; 2) Anaerobic Digestion; 3) Healthy Soils (biochar, compost and biosolids, and brassica seed meal); and 4) Economic Analysis and Transportation Assessments. As final reports are completed, they will also be posted on this website along with the poster.
Biofuels for Transportation
Anaerobic Digestion
Healthy Soils
Economic Analysis and Transportation Assessments
For several projects, the posters presented the results of three years of laboratory, field and software development work funded at $337,500, while most of the projects were in the range of $50,000 - $120,000 during the 07-09 biennium. Research scientists and engineers met the challenge to summarize their projects into a compressed 7-8 minute discussion. All the posters were remarkably well presented and significant outcomes were identified.
Poster presentations demonstrated that Washington State has great organic resources that will support sustainable economic development, for renewable products. The work represents a strong beginning in understanding the opportunity to decrease organics disposal and to address renewable fuels (fossil replacement) and fertilizers, carbon sequestration and offsets.
- Washington has fuel resources in the organic materials it generates in digester gas, cellulosic and food waste sugars and bio-oil that can result in green gasoline, methane, compressed natural gas, syn-gas, ethanol, bio-diesel and hydrogen. Preliminary economic assessment shows various process technologies may be market competitive in the near term with current petroleum prices ($65-$70/barrel).
- Carbon is sequestered in soils through increased soil organic matter from land applied compost, biosolids, and biochar. Added opportunities to address climate are available by recovering nitrogen and phosphorous and using these nutrients to substitute for imported fertilizer.
- Combining organic materials from multiple sources creates economic and process synergy for new projects. We see this in the co-digestion of manure and commercial food waste. Disposal fees decrease for waste generators while digester operators receive tip fees which greatly improve return on investment and help pay for project capitalization. Co-digestion substantially increases overall fuel/energy recovery.
- Streaming materials from multiple sources also expands resources for a given project and creates secondary product recovery "bio-refinery" options, further supporting sustainable outcomes.
- Efficient collection, transportation and processing of residual organic materials will decrease waste expenses, increase renewable energy and fuels, create jobs and improve overall economic vitality in Washington.
- "Value add" resources are present from organic materials that are typically disposed. That is, the materials are of greater economic value when differentiated from the common waste stream and processed as a resource than when disposed. Sustainable recovery of these materials for higher value should decrease waste expenses, increase renewable energy and fuels, create jobs and improve overall economic vitality in Washington.
Research Poster Session: "Where Are We Now?"
Concurrent poster sessions for state-sponsored research on Beyond Waste Processes / Technologies
The poster sessions in these proceedings (11:00 and 12:45) are organized by topical areas as follows: 1) Biofuels for Transportation; 2) Anaerobic Digestion; 3) Healthy Soils (biochar, compost and biosolids, and brassica seed meal); and 4) Economic Analysis and Transportation Assessments. As final reports are completed, they will also be posted on this website along with the poster.
Biofuels for Transportation
Anaerobic Digestion
Healthy Soils
Economic Analysis and Transportation Assessments
For several projects, the posters presented the results of three years of laboratory, field and software development work funded at $337,500, while most of the projects were in the range of $50,000 - $120,000 during the 07-09 biennium. Research scientists and engineers met the challenge to summarize their projects into a compressed 7-8 minute discussion. All the posters were remarkably well presented and significant outcomes were identified.
Poster presentations demonstrated that Washington State has great organic resources that will support sustainable economic development, for renewable products. The work represents a strong beginning in understanding the opportunity to decrease organics disposal and to address renewable fuels (fossil replacement) and fertilizers, carbon sequestration and offsets.
- Washington has fuel resources in the organic materials it generates in digester gas, cellulosic and food waste sugars and bio-oil that can result in green gasoline, methane, compressed natural gas, syn-gas, ethanol, bio-diesel and hydrogen. Preliminary economic assessment shows various process technologies may be market competitive in the near term with current petroleum prices ($65-$70/barrel).
- Carbon is sequestered in soils through increased soil organic matter from land applied compost, biosolids, and biochar. Added opportunities to address climate are available by recovering nitrogen and phosphorous and using these nutrients to substitute for imported fertilizer.
- Combining organic materials from multiple sources creates economic and process synergy for new projects. We see this in the co-digestion of manure and commercial food waste. Disposal fees decrease for waste generators while digester operators receive tip fees which greatly improve return on investment and help pay for project capitalization. Co-digestion substantially increases overall fuel/energy recovery.
- Streaming materials from multiple sources also expands resources for a given project and creates secondary product recovery "bio-refinery" options, further supporting sustainable outcomes.
- Efficient collection, transportation and processing of residual organic materials will decrease waste expenses, increase renewable energy and fuels, create jobs and improve overall economic vitality in Washington.
- "Value add" resources are present from organic materials that are typically disposed. That is, the materials are of greater economic value when differentiated from the common waste stream and processed as a resource than when disposed. Sustainable recovery of these materials for higher value should decrease waste expenses, increase renewable energy and fuels, create jobs and improve overall economic vitality in Washington.