Biogas production from aquatic biomass

Abstract

The use of aquatic biomass such as algae, macrophytes, or submerged macrophytes as raw material for biogas production has numerous technical and biological advantages. In addition, synergy effects can be exploited taking into account the implementation of biogas systems in urban areas, and coupling between the production of aquatic biomass, biogas production, and urban material flows can be established. Aquatic biomass, which can be the residue of downstream processes or collected from water bodies in cities, represents an excellent opportunity for both material and energy needs. Anaerobic digestion is a widely implemented technology that is already proven for the treatment of various biomasses. Several studies showed that aquatic biomass is a valuable substrate with its high methane yield, especially codigestion processes. This chapter represents the main idea of the anaerobic digestion process while focusing on the features of the aquatic biomass applications in this process.