Biodigesters

Biodigesters are systems that use anaerobic digestion (a biological process carried out by microorganisms in the absence of oxygen) to transform organic waste.

How Biodigesters work:

Through anaerobic digestion, biodigesters transform organic waste into two main products:

– Biogas: a methane-rich mixture used as a renewable energy source in the form of fuel to generate electricity, heat or biomethane.

– Digest: Stabilized residue rich in nutrients that can be applied as an agricultural biofertilizer.

It works in simple steps:

Organic waste (such as animal waste, food scraps or wastewater treatment plant sludge) is fed into the biodigester.
Indoors, anaerobic bacteria break down organic matter.
This process generates biogas, which is collected, treated and directed towards energy use.
The remaining material (digestate) is extracted and used as a sustainable agricultural input.

Benefits

Renewable energy generation

Reducing dependence on fossil fuels.

Waste management

Environmentally friendly treatment and reduction of odors and contamination risks.

Reducing greenhouse gases

Capturing the methane that would be emitted in natural decomposition.

Biofertilizer production

It replaces chemical fertilizers, generating savings in the field.

Economic sustainability

Creating new revenue and stimulating the circular economy

Institutional image and regulatory compliance

Reinforces environmental commitment and facilitates compliance with environmental standards.

Applications

Biodigesters can be used in various applications, including:

Industries: Anaerobic systems are widely used in food, beverage, pulp and paper, and organic waste treatment industries to treat effluents with a high organic load.
Wastewater treatment plants: Used in WWTPs to improve the efficiency of sewage treatment, especially in areas where biogas production can be integrated as a renewable energy source.
Agro-industries: Suitable for treating agricultural and livestock waste, converting organic waste into biogas and biofertilizers, promoting sustainability in the agricultural sector.

Compare in-house and outsourced operation of biodigesters:

Aspect	Internal Operation	Outsourced operation
Technical Specialization	Requires constant training of own staff; risk of lack of know-how	Specialized professionals up to date with best market practices
Costs	High investment in manpower, training and maintenance Company fully assumes failures and technical problems	Optimized costs with dedicated staff and dilution of expenses
Operational risks	Company takes full responsibility for faults and technical problems	Part of the risks transferred to the service provider
Monitoring and indicators	Can be limited by lack of tools and know-how	Use of advanced systems and performance indicators
Technological innovation	Slow upgrade and dependent on new investments	Access to innovations implemented directly by the operator
Strategic focus	Management energy dispersed between core business and biodigester operation	Company remains focused on its core business
Environmental compliance	Higher risk of non-conformities due to management failures	Professional operation ensures adherence to environmental standards
Flexibility	Fixed structure, difficult to adjust team/process quickly	Service adaptable to demand and project evolution

The EP Engenharia team has all the know-how to operate anaerobic systems, including biodigesters.

We have a proven track record of success in WTP/ETE outsourcing, providing significant improvements in operational efficiency and cost savings for our clients.