one-day course

introduction to biogas

venue: Hackney City Farm, London

This course is about extracting energy and fertiliser from  biomass wastes. It is for anyone interested in producing domestic or farm-scale biogas, or anyone with a general interest in the topic. The tutor is George Matthews, who has pioneered small scale biogas in Africa.

Biogas is a mixture of methane and carbon dioxide, and is produced by the breakdown of organic material in the absence of oxygen, a process known as anaerobic digestion (AD).

Traditional (aerobic) composting uses oxygen to breakdown this same organic material to make soil, but there is no energy output other than heat, which is hard to use. There is little energy input in a garden compost heap, but municipal sites consume lots of energy to deal with green wastes.

A digester can be fed a variety of things from human and animal slurries and plant material to waste food and paper. Apart from biogas, the output is a wet compost that can be returned to the land to improve soil and fertilize crops.

There is a renewed focus on the energy production possibilities that AD offers over and above the waste transformation role it has always played. This course sets out the basics of AD both in theory and practice for those who want to know more about the role of biogas as a renewable technology. No prior knowledge necessary.

The course includes:

  • basic theory of anaerobic digestion or what happens inside a digester
  • current state of AD in Britain and beyond, a look at how AD is implemented and what the future may hold
  • practical uses for all the products of digestion including biogas - where AD fits into society and its role in combatting climate change
  • outline system designs
  • maintaining digesters - the basics of how to run a digester
  • information on making a small-scale glass flask digester to watch the anaerobic digestion process at home
  • Q&A - anything else you need to know

dates: see 'book online' below

more on biogas


how to book:
  

if you can't open the booking form, you need Acrobat Reader - it's free
arrive:
  
for a 10am prompt start
depart:
  
after the course finishes at 5pm
directions:
  
click here for directions to Hackney City Farm
what to bring:
  
work clothes; pen and notebook; packed lunch (if you're not using the cafe)
let us know:
  
if you have any special needs
price:
  
£60
Refundable up to two weeks prior to course (minus £30 admin fee)
No refunds for cancellations within two weeks of course
lunch:
  
bring a packed lunch or you can get lunch at the cafe
car sharing:
  
visit our car sharing forum to offer or request a lift
 

 

 

 


using biogas to boil a normal kettle on a normal hob - the only difference is there's no gas bill

 


 


 

 

 

 


a small-scale glass flask digester that allows you to watch the anaerobic digestion process

 


 

 



 

 

 


larger-scale digester on a dairy farm in Shropshire; built by Farmgas (who have built many agricultural digesters). It is about 15 years old and still operational