Anaerobic digestion, as an efficient technology even on a small scale, is able to represent a technological infrastructure in the context of small communities, or of several integrated communities, and is therefore essential to reduce the impacts in terms of gas emissions. greenhouse and other types. The project and the market that can arise from it is fully part of the concept of circular economy and, perhaps, is the highest example of a circular economy system. Rejection is no longer a problem but a resource. Waste is no longer waste and remains within the economic system so that it can be reused for production purposes and create new value. Based on the experience gained, the main contribution to the advancement provided by the CNR-IIA can be framed in the technological and organizational sector, as it will make the skills of the personnel involved in the design and monitoring of the pilot product as well as the technology available for the development of the project. developed over the years of study and in the different research projects addressed and dedicated to the topic. The CNR-IIA will therefore contribute to the technological advancement by perfecting the techniques already acquired and calibrating the prototype according to the project needs. The improvement of an innovative anaerobic digestion and upgrading technique also resulted from the projects previously developed by the CNR-IIA such as "SMARTGRID" which focused on the development and monitoring of a small plant. The project made it possible to develop and test an integrated methodology of co-management of the OFMSW with agro-industrial waste. During the experimental activities, preliminary tests were carried out aimed at defining the optimal mix of biomass to be sent to co-digestion, and subsequently we moved on to the design and construction of the prototype, which includes a pilot plant for anaerobic digestion, a composting plant and a biogas purification and upgrading plant.
The implementation of an innovative, modular and efficient system (result of research activities as also reported below) for the production of biogas and compost that uses anaerobic digestion (single or double stage PFR - Plug Flow Reactor) and composting aerobic (through the use of proximity composters or similar systems) will allow the reduction of the costs of waste management and therefore of the expenses incurred by each individual citizen. In particular, the use of suitable biogas upgrading and purification systems into biomethane (removal of H2S and CO2) and the subsequent use in systems for the generation of electrical and thermal energy will not only make the plant energy self-sufficient but will allow the implementation of systems with high energy conversion (such as fuel-cell). Not secondary to the project are also the sensitization of citizenship and the increase of awareness about the need to reduce the production of undifferentiated waste and for local administrations, the demonstrated technical and economic feasibility of local waste management with reduced environmental impact ( better knowledge, alternative ways of managing the FORSU in an economic and sustainable way). The project developed falls within the innovation area "Environment and natural risks", while the technological trajectory in which it is located is "New energy technologies and reuse of scraps and waste to reduce the environmental impact". As regards the priorities of the Calabria Region, a reduced percentage of wet fraction treated in composting plants is observed, equal to 9,6% (the Italian figure is 42,5%). Therefore, the project in line with these regional criticalities intends to increase the percentage of OFMSW destined for disposal and reducing the problems of small territorial communities, significantly improving the management and use of resources through a technology capable of converting OFMSW into compost and biogas. The technology developed makes it possible to reduce the environmental impact related to greenhouse gas emissions deriving from combustion, the biogas that will be produced is in fact considered a globally neutral fuel.