Part B: Sludge sewage pre-treatment and codigestion Technical Note 3 – Anaerobic codigestion of sewage sludge with other substrates

Abstract

The increase in the global population, industrialization, and urbanization, demands a greater generation of energy and, in parallel, increases the need for adequate management of the large quantities of wastes produced and that may be a potential source of environmental pollution. The possibility of anaerobic codigestion of residues to produce biofuels appears as a promising alternative in the field of renewable energy generation. Among the advantages of using anaerobic codigestion are adjustment of pH and buffering capacity of the system, increase of process reliability, possible integrated solid waste management and increase of the practice sustainability. This technical note is intended to present some topics related with the feasibility of codigesting sludge from sewage treatment plants with other co-substrates (from agriculture, industries etc.), indicating the appropriate proportions, and alternatives for implementing the process in Brazil.