Anaerobic Digester 

Please excuse our mess. The digester is still under construction! In the meantime, find out more about the concept in the working version of the project overview in our Toolkit (updated Sept. 2021).

The planned anaerobic digester is a key feature at The Plant, as it is designed to solve several critical issues by reusing what is conventionally considered “waste" while creating several valuable outputs. This anaerobic digester is unique in that we are neither a waste hauler nor the source of the waste processed; instead, we envision the digester project as an opportunity to provide food-waste processing alternatives to businesses in the surrounding urban industrial area as well as elsewhere in the City, while also realizing the revenue possible by harnessing this valuable waste stream.  Waste from the building will be a fraction of the volume of waste processed by the digester, yet the digester will demonstrate that even food‐production businesses, which are typically waste and energy intensive, can operate sustainably by closing waste loops.

This project has been on hold due to a financing gap, but Bubbly continues to pursue alternate financing sources and partnerships. Trials using the liquid digestate as an input to Back of the Yards Algae Sciences’ (BYAS) algae-production process have been promising; coming soon in 2022 is a greenhouse in the yard to house an expanded research space.

The digester is completely planned, engineered, and shovel-ready, pending the confirmation of sources to close the funding gap.  Bubbly Dynamics has already secured all necessary permits, with remaining operating permits to be obtained after installation is complete and the digester is ready for operation.