Managing liquid digestate to support the sustainable biogas industry in China: Maximizing biogas‐linked agro‐ecosystem balance

Abstract Biogas industry in China is developing rapidly. This is particularly the case for livestock farm biogas plants, which are built to treat manure and wastewater. Managing the liquid digestate (LD) generated by anaerobic digestion of livestock wastes is becoming a bottleneck, restricting the s...

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Main Authors: Wenguo Wang, Yunhong Zhang, Yi Liu, Na Jiang, Qi Zhao, Liangwei Deng
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Wiley 2021-06-01
Series:GCB Bioenergy
Subjects:
Online Access:https://doi.org/10.1111/gcbb.12823
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author Wenguo Wang
Yunhong Zhang
Yi Liu
Na Jiang
Qi Zhao
Liangwei Deng
author_facet Wenguo Wang
Yunhong Zhang
Yi Liu
Na Jiang
Qi Zhao
Liangwei Deng
author_sort Wenguo Wang
collection DOAJ
description Abstract Biogas industry in China is developing rapidly. This is particularly the case for livestock farm biogas plants, which are built to treat manure and wastewater. Managing the liquid digestate (LD) generated by anaerobic digestion of livestock wastes is becoming a bottleneck, restricting the sustainable development of the biogas industry in China. The separation of livestock breeding and arable farming, caused by rapid intensive animal husbandry development, is the main reason for the LD problem. Researchers, government representatives, and biogas plant operators in China have invested significant research efforts to maximize biogas‐linked agro‐ecosystem balance, which is considered as an important solution to the LD problem. This article reviewed these studies and proposed several solutions from the following four aspects: breeding mode, waste treatment mode, LD transportation mode, and LD utilization mode. One proposal is to reduce the scale of newly built livestock farms and disperse them in farmland, by promoting the “company + agent” livestock breeding mode. In this approach, farm scale would be based on the size of available farmland, and would allow for the use of LD in the near farmland. The second approach involves the intense separation of the livestock slurry and further transportation of the LD produced by the thick slurry. The third one is to expand the possible distances for transferring LD, using a pipe network or vehicle supervised by a professional third party. Finally, the development of high value‐added products and bringing them to market is the ultimate solution for the future.
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spelling doaj.art-4a152795d9a14c44bcba2de72e2d212d2022-12-21T22:09:45ZengWileyGCB Bioenergy1757-16931757-17072021-06-0113688089210.1111/gcbb.12823Managing liquid digestate to support the sustainable biogas industry in China: Maximizing biogas‐linked agro‐ecosystem balanceWenguo Wang0Yunhong Zhang1Yi Liu2Na Jiang3Qi Zhao4Liangwei Deng5Biogas Institute of Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs Chengdu PR ChinaBiogas Institute of Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs Chengdu PR ChinaBiogas Institute of Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs Chengdu PR ChinaBiogas Institute of Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs Chengdu PR ChinaCollege of Food and Biological Engineering Chengdu University Chengdu P.R. ChinaBiogas Institute of Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs Chengdu PR ChinaAbstract Biogas industry in China is developing rapidly. This is particularly the case for livestock farm biogas plants, which are built to treat manure and wastewater. Managing the liquid digestate (LD) generated by anaerobic digestion of livestock wastes is becoming a bottleneck, restricting the sustainable development of the biogas industry in China. The separation of livestock breeding and arable farming, caused by rapid intensive animal husbandry development, is the main reason for the LD problem. Researchers, government representatives, and biogas plant operators in China have invested significant research efforts to maximize biogas‐linked agro‐ecosystem balance, which is considered as an important solution to the LD problem. This article reviewed these studies and proposed several solutions from the following four aspects: breeding mode, waste treatment mode, LD transportation mode, and LD utilization mode. One proposal is to reduce the scale of newly built livestock farms and disperse them in farmland, by promoting the “company + agent” livestock breeding mode. In this approach, farm scale would be based on the size of available farmland, and would allow for the use of LD in the near farmland. The second approach involves the intense separation of the livestock slurry and further transportation of the LD produced by the thick slurry. The third one is to expand the possible distances for transferring LD, using a pipe network or vehicle supervised by a professional third party. Finally, the development of high value‐added products and bringing them to market is the ultimate solution for the future.https://doi.org/10.1111/gcbb.12823biogas industrybiogas‐linked agro‐ecosystemChinaliquid digestatelivestock breeding
spellingShingle Wenguo Wang
Yunhong Zhang
Yi Liu
Na Jiang
Qi Zhao
Liangwei Deng
Managing liquid digestate to support the sustainable biogas industry in China: Maximizing biogas‐linked agro‐ecosystem balance
GCB Bioenergy
biogas industry
biogas‐linked agro‐ecosystem
China
liquid digestate
livestock breeding
title Managing liquid digestate to support the sustainable biogas industry in China: Maximizing biogas‐linked agro‐ecosystem balance
title_full Managing liquid digestate to support the sustainable biogas industry in China: Maximizing biogas‐linked agro‐ecosystem balance
title_fullStr Managing liquid digestate to support the sustainable biogas industry in China: Maximizing biogas‐linked agro‐ecosystem balance
title_full_unstemmed Managing liquid digestate to support the sustainable biogas industry in China: Maximizing biogas‐linked agro‐ecosystem balance
title_short Managing liquid digestate to support the sustainable biogas industry in China: Maximizing biogas‐linked agro‐ecosystem balance
title_sort managing liquid digestate to support the sustainable biogas industry in china maximizing biogas linked agro ecosystem balance
topic biogas industry
biogas‐linked agro‐ecosystem
China
liquid digestate
livestock breeding
url https://doi.org/10.1111/gcbb.12823
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