Biological Care has a proven track record in the sector and over the years has more than seventy plants of different technologies on which it has carried out start-up procedures, an activity considered to be the most delicate and complex of all anaerobic digestion operation phases. The term ‘Start-up’ of an anaerobic digester refers to the period between the preparation of the starting inoculum and the plant being put into full production.

Proceeding is divided into two consecutive phases:
• the “Proceeding” phase, which starts when the inoculum reaches 36°C (Kick-off) and ends when 80% of the plant’s maximum power is reached for a period of at least 3 consecutive days;
• the “Early stage Tutoring” phase, which consists of coaching and training company personnel on plant management for the 6 months following Proceeding.

Specifications of the Proceeding phase
Objective: to reach 80% of the plant’s maximum output for at least 3 consecutive days.
Activities included in the service
• Selection of inoculum and analytical evaluation of available substrates
• Assistance in the filling and heating phases of the digesters
• Coordination of the start of the feeding ramp
• Technical checks and monitoring
• Preparation of cogenerator/upgrading and first parallel operation
• Necessary chemical-biological analyses

Specifics of the Early stage Tutoring
Objective: To make the plant personnel autonomous in the management of feeding and biology.
Activities included in the service
• Training of personnel
• Instruction on self-monitoring
• Provision of management protocols
• Monitoring and estimation of substrate evolution
• Feeding and biology