Term nl → en
biogas anaerobic digestion wastewater treatment biomass

vergisting

Dutch

vergisting
Proces waarbij organisch (biologisch) materiaal door micro-organismen wordt afgebroken, doorgaans onder anaerobe omstandigheden, met vorming van onder meer digestaat en vaak biogas (methaanrijk gas).

Related terms (NL → EN)

  • vergisting → (anaerobic) digestion
  • vergisten (v.) → to digest / is digested
  • vergister → digester
  • vergistingstank → digestion tank
  • anaerobe vergisting → anaerobic digestion
  • vergisting van biomassa → digestion of biomass

English

Preferred translations (context-dependent)

  • anaerobic digestion
  • digestion (short form, acceptable where the anaerobic nature is clear from context)

Other possible renderings (use with caution)

  • anaerobic biodegradation
  • anaerobic degradation

These may be suitable in scientific or descriptive contexts, but are less standard in patent, regulatory and engineering texts relating to biogas installations.

Abbreviation

  • AD – common shorthand for anaerobic digestion in technical literature and patents

Usage notes

In English-language patents, engineering documentation and wastewater/biogas literature, the process described by vergisting of biomass (e.g. manure, organic waste, sludge) is most precisely and idiomatically rendered as anaerobic digestion.12

Although the broader microbiological term fermentation can sometimes be defended scientifically,3 it is less specific and can be misleading where methane production and digestate formation are central. For biogas and wastewater contexts, anaerobic digestion is therefore normally preferred unless applicant or project-specific terminology dictates otherwise.

Examples

Dutch English Source
Het biologisch afval wordt door vergisting omgezet in digestaat en biogas. The biological waste is converted into digestate and biogas by anaerobic digestion. Patent text
Na vergisting wordt het digestaat gescheiden in een dunne en een dikke fractie. After digestion, the digestate is separated into a thin fraction and a thick fraction. Patent text
De vergisting vindt plaats in één of meerdere vergistingstanken. The digestion takes place in one or more digestion tanks. Patent text

External links

References


  1. IEA Bioenergy – Anaerobic digestion
    https://www.ieabioenergy.com/topics/anaerobic-digestion/ 

  2. European Commission – Biogas and biomethane
    https://energy.ec.europa.eu/topics/renewable-energy/bioenergy/biogas-and-biomethane_en 

  3. IUPAC Gold Book – Fermentation (microbiological definition)
    https://goldbook.iupac.org/terms/view/F02329 

About this term

Languages
nl → en
Description
Dutch technical term 'vergisting' and its standard English equivalents in biogas, wastewater treatment and biomass processing contexts
Tags
biogas, anaerobic digestion, wastewater treatment, biomass
Last Updated
2026-01-06
Source
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