Environmental Benefits

Aside from the obvious benefits of generating cleaner energy there are numerous emergent technologies which will make better and alternative uses of the outputs of stable thermophilic anaerobic digestion:

Other than the production of both heat and electrical energy via natural gas the system generates volatile fatty acids which can be used in the creation of bio-plastics. This could help to reduce the use of and eventually eradicate oil-based plastics. Oil-based plastics and their negative effects on our oceans are are set to be a topic of great concern for the forseeable future and any way in which their use can be reduced will be greatly encouraged.

The volatile fatty acids used in the creation of bio-plastics can also be used as the building blocks for the creation of a number of other useful chemicals.

As the technology improves gases other than methane and CO2 will be more readily produced allowing for greater potential energy generation.

Algae is also being investigated for its potential as a pre or post processing agent either side of the stable thermophilic anaerobic digestion to either increase effectiveness or generate potential new products from the process.

All in all the process has great potential in its production of useful products as a by-product of the natural process of decay.