Anaerobic Digestion Scenarios in the South of Tuscany

In the frame of a project co-financed by the Tuscany Region (DATO – Digestione Anaerobica in TOscana) a characterisation and evaluation of the potential for anaerobic digestion of source select-ed organic fraction of Municipal Solid Waste was carried out, with reference to the territory of the south of Tuscany (Italy). The evaluation was carried out considering technical, technological and environmental point of views. One of the main aims of the project was to evaluate the potential of integrating the anaerobic diges-tion treatment of the source selected organic fraction with existing and available plants, in particular putting the anaerobic treatment before the aerobic biostabilization process, in order to produce bio-gas and recover energy, before the subsequent recovering of material as compost. Also the possibil-ity of source selected organic fraction and Waste Water Treatment Plant sludge co-digestion was analysed. In order to proceed with the analysis, the studied territory was characterised in terms of source se-lected organic fraction production with reference to future production and treatment capacity of the existing – and planned – aerobic biostabilization plants. The capacity of the aerobic biostabilization plants resulted to be adequate – also in the future – for the treatment of the digestate exiting from the anaerobic process. Different scenarios for the source selected organic fraction management were considered: several small anaerobic digesters spread over the territory up-stream the existing aerobic biostabilization plants; three anaerobic digesters; co-digestion potential exploiting. The analysed scenarios were compared by means of Life Cycle Assessment.