Wastewater treatment and carbon trade: Impact of certified emission reduction in a biogas project

Abstract

Anaerobic digestion development has been marked by a constant evolution. Initially it was born as an efficient way to solve environmental problems, but later, a more comprehensive vision was adopted with the inclusion of the issues of biogas, bio-solids and irrigation water utilization. Later on, energy issues started being more relevant and to gain strength. Currently, a new concept has been included as a fundamental variable in environmental processes, namely, the reduction of greenhouse gases. In fact, the regulated/voluntary carbon market has a diversity of developing projects that otherwise would not be possible to be developed. In other words, anaerobic digestion must be viewed as a technology that must be thought about from a systemic viewpoint, where not only a contribution to the waste problem is made, but in addition, a contribution is made to the Planet's environmental and energy sustainability. In this work a new systemic approach for biogas projects is shown. How the carbon market can help to solve environmental and energetic problems, especially in under developed countries. Finally, a real project is described as an example in order to validate this approach. © 2012 WIT Press.