Biogas and fertilizers from bio-waste

Located in Lahti, LABIO is the largest biogas production and refining plant in Finland and it produces biogas, a domestic and renewable product, from waste. It provides a treatment service for bio-waste and water treatment plant slurry for industry, waste management companies and for the general public.

Challange

Previously, bio-waste was largely used as landfill causing difficulties with methane gas production, odours and contributed to a valuable resource and energy loss. The amount of bio-waste is growing globally. With the right treatment, infrastructure and waste management systems, it could be used as a valuable resource for organic soil improvers and fertilisers or extracted, modified or transformed into a range of different bio-based products all replacing fossil-based products such as mineral fertilisers, peat and fossil fuels.

Good practices and solutions

By using municipal bio-waste, bio-waste from food industries, forestry, fisheries, sludge from wastewater treatment plans and biodegradable materials from farming, LABIO is able to produce biogas and fertilizers. It is the largest biogas production and refining plant in Finland, and part of the industrial symbiosis in Kujala Waste Treatment Centre in Lahti. The system developed by LABIO is pioneering, by combining composting and gas production where the compost produced by the biogas production is turned into raw soil materials and fertilisers, it allows the nutrients stored in bio-waste and sludge to be put back into circulation.

Outcomes & Opportunities

The operation of the plant offers an environmentally friendly, reliable, secure and odourless production of biogas and compost. Composting and the recovery of biogas are ideal ways of reducing carbon dioxide emissions and the carbon footprint. It is also a renewable and domestic energy source. The process is dependent on the development of a successful industrial symbiosis whereby waste products are delivered to the plan where it is upscaled and then released back. This, in turn, requires the cooperation of local neighbouring companies and municipalities.

Related SDG targets

• 6.3 By 2030, improve water quality by reducing pollution, eliminating dumping and minimizing release of hazardous chemicals and materials, halving the proportion of untreated wastewater and substantially increasing recycling and safe reuse globally.
• 7.2 By 2030, increase substantially the share of renewable energy in the global energy mix.
• 9.4 By 2030, upgrade infrastructure and retrofit industries to make them sustainable, with increased resource-use efficiency and greater adoption of clean and environmentally sound technologies and industrial processes, with all countries taking action in accordance with their respective capabilities.

 

Photo: © Ivan Bandura/Unsplash

Project: Circular Baltic 2030