Frass4Gas
Basic research
Pre-treatment of industrial insect breeding residues for anaerobic digestion
- Funding: Early Stage Funding, University of Innsbruck
- Period: October 2022 – October 2023
- Budget: €10,400
- Role: Principal investigator
- Collaborators: Nazlıcan Yalçin (intern), Julia Rothärmel (student assistant)
Description
Rearing black soldier fly (Hermetia illucens) larvae converts organic waste into protein and fat for animal feed. The leftover material, frass, consists of larval skins, faeces and undigested substrate. It is rich in nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium and is used as a fertiliser, but few studies have examined it as a substrate for biogas production. This project aims to determine suitable pre-treatment methods, optimal loading rates, and the effect of frass on microbial stability during anaerobic digestion.