4. Conclusion
Laboratory analyses of screenings from different WWTP revealed
a high fraction of very biodegradable organic matter. Pilot-
scale experiments with MSW digestate as an inoculum
demonstrated the feasibility of anaerobic digestion. Inhibition
due to overloading during the start-up phase was corrected by suspending
the feeding temporarily. Subsequently, a production of
about 360 Nl of methane per kg VSadded was obtained during steady
phase.
If the implementation of a dedicated digester would probably
not be economically sound at the industrial level, co-digestion of
screenings (with sludge and/or other wastes) would likely be more
realistic provided that screenings to be pretreated adequately.
Acknowledgements
The authors wish to thank the competitiveness cluster on
chemistry and the environment of Lyon – Rhône-Alpes (Axelera)
for the implementation of this research program. They also gratefully
acknowledge the Region Rhône-Alpes for financial support
and CEREP (INSA Lyon) for the design and the building of the
digester.