Anaerobic digestion of food waste coupled with biogas upgrading in an outdoors algal-bacterial photobioreactor at pilot scale

• Pilot scale validation of food waste digestion coupled to photosynthetic upgrading. Biogas production 68 ± 8 L d -1 at a loading rate 0.86 g VS (35 °C, 1 bar) Maximum recovery efficiencies 60 and 100% were achieved for TN TP. CO 2 removal 90% in biomethane. CH 4 concentrations > 93% This work aimed integrating the anaerobic (FW) with biogas upgrading pilot order obtain high quality biomethane nutrient-laden algal biomass as main byproducts from FW treatment. The performance 100 digester treating integrated via raw digestate injection 1.2 m outdoors high-rate pond (HRAP) was evaluated. averaged 790 89 mL (68 ) steady state chemical oxygen demand efficiency 83 7%. produced (60% / 39% upgraded 2.5 absorption column interconnected HRAP culture broth recirculation liquid ratio 2, resulting maximum content 93.9%. HRAP, supplied centrifuged supplemented synthetic wastewater (5.0 1.1 , Total nitrogen (TN) = 793 110 mg N P-PO 3- 39 19 P ), supported total phosphorus both cases. Pseudoanabaena sp. Chlorella vulgaris identified dominant species.