Quality assurance of digestate in Switzerland

Transcription

1 IEA Bioenergy Task 37 Quality assurance of digestate in Switzerland Cork / Ireland - September 2011 Nathalie BACHMANN EREP SA Chemin du Coteau 28 CH 1123 Aclens - Switzerland nathalie.bachmann@erep.ch +41 (0) Traitement et valorisation de déchets et d effluents organiques

2 Introduction Some key events: 90 ies Experiments on impact of digestate on soil and plants 2001 Law on fertilizer marketing 2001 Guideline on quality management of digestate Study on organic polluants in digestate/ influence of digestate on environnement, soil fertility and plant health 2010 Guideline on quality management of digestate 2

3 Why do we need a quality assurance system for digestate? Digestate Liquid digestate Solid digestate Compost (aerobic treatment of solid digestate) Agricultural fertiliser (agricultural substrates) Recycling fertiliser (non agricultural substrates) Different products, different handling Correct use leads to a very positive influence on the soil 3

4 Why do we need a quality assurance system for digestate? Quality guarantee Only high quality products Long term soil quality & plant health Confidence between producer and user Avoid risks Avoid negative impacts and bad reputation of digestate due to wrong utilisation Improve understanding Monitoring and data collection for global view and analysis Detection of gaps in the actual knowledge 4

5 How works the quality assurance system? 5

6 VKS Association of composting and digestion facilities (Verband Kompost- und Vergärwerke Schweiz) 6

7 VKS Association of composting and digestion facilities (Verband Kompost- und Vergärwerke Schweiz) Goal: Improve marked conditions for compost and digestate Actions: Education quality controle Coordination of projects Influence political desicions (law) Participation in the elaboration of the quality guideline Link: 7

8 Inspection commission ARGE Inspektorat 8

9 Inspection body ARGE Inspektorat Goal: To control the digestate producers Actions: On demand of a canton or of an installation Visit of the installations, data collection (once a year or every two years) Update of the database (CVIS) Inform authorities (canton) about the results Link: 9

10 Law, directives and guidelines Two main guidelines: Substrates Positve list Biogas plant Digestate Quality guideline for compost and digestate Laws 10

11 Directives and guidelines Positive list List of substrates and indication of: Hygienic class a) no problem b) attention required c) special treatment and/or authorisation needed If appropriate for mesophilic / thermophilic digestion Special remarks (high salt content, ph, ) 11

12 Directives and guidelines 12

13 Directives and guidelines Quality guideline 2010 for compost and digestate Which product for which utilisation? 13

14 Directives and guidelines Definition of the quality standards of the different products: Liquid digestate Solid digestate without composting with composting In function of their utilisation: Arable farming/ fodder production Horiculture (indoor and outdoor) 14

15 Directives and guidelines Quality standards take account of: - Heavy metals - Organic polluants - Foreign matters / impurities (maximum content and diameter of plastic, glass, metal) - Hygienic requirements (input criteria, retention time and temperature in the digester, how to avoid recontamination) - Physical and chemical propreties (dry/organic matter, ph, salt content, C/N, nitrate, nitrite) 15

16 Directives and guidelines Utilisation and application: - Which product for which utilisation - Impacts on soil quality - Period of application (seasonal, daily and meteorological conditions) - How much to apply - How to apply (technology) 16

17 Perspectives Long term experiments / «essais-vitrines» - Tests of minimum 5 years - Analysis of the long term effects of digestate under different conditions (soil, climate, crops): Nutrients, humus content, soil structure, disease supression Logo Based on the guideline for compost and digestate Photo: Fibl Schweiz Training program Establishment of a unified training and retraining program 17

18 Thank you for your attention! 18

19 VKS Law Inspection commission / inspectors Controlling, consulting, certification Digestate producer Database (CVIS) Annual report Contract Digestate user Directives and guidelines Contract Canton VKS : Association of composting and digestion facilities 19