Odour Impact Assessment for Anaerobic Digestion (AD) Plant

Acting on instruction from a client based in the greater London area, SWEL are to prepare an Odour Impact Assessment for a Anaerobic Digestion (AD) Plant in Devon.

The Anaerobic Digestion Plant  is to use agricultural feed stock in to produce gas, and ultimalty genrate electrcial energy vis the use of gas engines to feed in to the grid.

As solar and wind capacity increases  and base load capacity decreases, the UK must fill the gap. Anaerobic Digestion Plants offer the possibility of storing gas produced, and generating power when it is needed.

Odour Modelling

The odur impact assessment was conducted using odor concentrations derived from secondary sources, in the most part peer review scientific papers. These values were then used in a model to derive am odour concentration at near by receptors.

The model used was aeromod, which is the preferred modelling system used in the UK and USA. In fact the model was produced in the USA, by their equivalent of the Environment Agency the EPA.

The model works, by caluclating dispersion, and also “averaging” out plume concentrations based on wind directions. There are various parameters that can be changed, in cluding atmopshric stibility etc.

Owing to the comparatively low odor emissions from the proposed agricultural feed stock the odour impacts are very low.

SWEL can conduct Odour Impact Assessments on a quick turnaround and also offer odour modelling services, to air quality professionals.