To optimize the yield and functioning of anaerobic plants, Entsorga, through its own Research and Development, is completing the Cow Lab project, a mini Lab that will allow us to define the ideal mixture to send for treatment.

The mobile plant, that reproduces an anaerobic digester Semi Dry Plug Flow in a scale of 1:12, will be continuously powered with organic waste (FORSU), which has been properly pretreated, weighed and measured.

“Stress tests” will be carried out in the reactor to study the stability of the process and to analyze how it changes in relation to variations in specific chemical and physical parameters, such as the organic load, the solid components or the temperature of the digestate.

As is the case of a full scale plant , the Cow Lab will also manage the process with the new Eagle Cloud System, the new software which is property of Entsorga that allows us to monitor and measure the parameters of the biomass and as a result evaluate the volume and the composition of the biogas produced.

The results of the tests will allow us to make the best possible choices with regard to the running of the plant on a larger scale, optimizing the recovery of raw materials, time and costs of production.

“We are talking about a project that has been specifically developed for the Business Unit O&M and which, owing to its great flexibility can be used by anyone who wishes to reinforce or improve plants that are already active or who may want to evaluate the opportunity to combine anaerobic digestion with composting, its natural completion”, our CEO Gian Francesco Gallanzino underlined.
“Using a pilot plant, instead of lab tests, permits us to make much more precise evaluations because it reproduces the real conditions of the treatment. Without considering that, in the case of existing plants, it allows us to work on the same material used in the digester”.