Dive Brief:

• Massachusetts' first anaerobic digester is under construction at the Crapo Hill landfill in Dartmouth and is expected to begin operations in June of 2014.
• The $1-million bioenergy facility is capable of converting 12 tons of food waste per day in the first year, and 50% of the feedstock mixture created at the plant will be made from food scrap. Wastewater treatment sludge will account for 25%, while 25% will be fats, oils, and grease.
• The digester is expected to generate 25 cubic feet of biogas per minute initially, with the capacity eventually growing to 4.1 megawatts daily after its performance is evaluated. 

Dive Insight:

Operations at the facility will increase after a year-long performance test is completed. If the pilot program is successful, production will reach 120 tons per day. The facility plans to find alternate uses for leftover digestate. Current applications include using the byproduct as a low-nutrient fertilizer, or as an additive to yard composting material.

The commercial food waste ban in Massachusetts will begin on October 1, 2014. The organics regulation is prompting towns to consider building organic waste facilities, while some companies plan the launch of anaerobic digestion plants to fill the growing need for disposal.