Hong Kong is actively promoting green technologies in order to reduce carbon emissions. Implementing anaerobic digestion technology to convert food waste into biogas for electricity generation is one of the promising initiatives. However, the volume of digestate and recycling problems have yet to be broken through. Dr Ben Shao-Yuan Leu, Associate Professor of PolyU Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, has been granted a funding from the Green Tech Fund and is expected to commence pilot tests in September. The ammonia pretreatment system project offers innovative solutions, effectively minimising odour, reducing land footprint of digestate solids, and producing high-quality organic fertiliser.

In a recent interview with Ta Kung Pao, Dr Leu shared that his developed system will be applicable for achieving energy-efficient carbon sequestration at the Organic Resources Recovery Centre (O·PARK). Specifically, an innovative Combined Thermal with Free Ammonia Pretreatment System will be established to destroy flocs, extracellular polymeric substances and refractory organics for enhanced total solids reduction.

In addition, Dr Leu revealed that another PolyU research team has been working on ammonia-nitrogen power generation, and they may collaborate in combining technologies to explore further use of ammonia-nitrogen in the future.

Full interview (Chinese only)