CONTACT: Rick Jones, Engineered Storage Products Company, Inc., rljones@engstorage.com, 815-756-1551; or, Jon Anderson, OPEN ROADS, janderson@openroads-bgdn.com, 414-227-1000 ext. 4
Anaerobic digesters: turn waste into energy
DES MOINES, Iowa (June 6, 2008) – Many farms today cannot efficiently dispose of the manure created on their operation. The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) reports that only 18% of large hog farms apply manure on enough cropland needed to meet a nitrogen-based standard that protects water quality. As open-air lagoons and spraying liquefied manure over fields become more and more of an unacceptable option, many producers are looking for an alternative, sustainable and cost-effective manure treatment method.
David Palmer of BioPower Technologies, Parkston, SD, informed livestock producers at World Pork Expo that there’s now a way to clean up waste, reduce odor, produce a nature-friendly organic fertilizer – and generate a methane-rich, very useful biogas. “A controlled anaerobic digester can help livestock producers overcome many of today’s environmental challenges,” said Palmer.
During World Pork Expo’s Environmental Information Center session, Palmer presented “Anaerobic Digesters – Where Waste Management Equals Energy Generation.” Sponsored by Engineered Storage Products Company, manufacturers of Slurrystore® systems, Palmer showcased the first commercial application of the fixed film technology (as developed by Dr. Ann Wilkie, University of Florida, Gainesville) on a 2,600-sow operation with 16,000 finishing spaces and 6,000 nursery units. Located in Amour, SD, and known as the Classic Farms Project, Palmer detailed how the process of anaerobic digestion using the patented fixed film technology will reduce methane emissions on this operation by about 11,000 tons of carbon dioxide equivalents per year.
“With a digester, a farm has the potential to fix their energy costs for the next five to six years and, after that, eliminate 95% of the costs for the future,” added Palmer. “No other waste management option provides this kind of return.”
What are the keys to success? Palmer believes producers should have a long-term view, the desire to control nutrient management, the need to decrease odor issues — and realistic investment goals. He also emphasized all the up-front work needed to set up an anaerobic digester. “We sit down with producers and perform a complete pre-feasibility analysis. We determine how much waste is generated and the volume of water in the waste. We also look at what’s in the waste, current energy usage and costs, and any other economic considerations,” added Palmer. “Once that’s summarized, we’ll test the waste and determine biochemical methane potential, plus investigate options for using and/or selling the generated electricity. If everything looks good, then we determine actual costs and terms for construction, work on financing and grant options and focus on regulations and nutrient management issues. Getting started is not a simple process.”
While the planning portion is complex, the actual anaerobic digestion process is more simple than many think. “It’s all about bugs,” said Palmer. “Under controlled conditions, anaerobic micro-organisms can naturally degrade organic matter, leading to biogas production and a pathogen- and weed seed-free fertilizer.”
According to Palmer, the process requires the following two steps:
- Acidogenesis – organics converted to acetate and hydrogen
- Methanogenesis – acetate and hydrogen converted to methane
These steps rely on an oxygen free environment, a constant temperature and a diverse and interdependent group of bacteria. When everything is set in place, research shows that these bugs can help convert volatile solids to methane, lower the biological oxygen demand (BOD) and chemical oxygen demand (COD) of the waste, reduce odor, convert nitrogen to ammonia and reduce pathogen content.
“Livestock manure has significant resource potential,” commented Palmer. “Manure should be seen as a valuable source of crop nutrients, plus it can represent a substantial bioenergy resource if processed by anaerobic digestion. This environmentally friendly system can handle manure — and give back renewable energy.”
Seminar sponsor Slurrystore® from Engineered Storage Products Company is located in Dekalb, Illinois. They are the leading manufacturer of glass-fused-to-steel structures in North America, including the well-known Harvestore® and Slurrystore® brands. For more information, please call 815-756-1551.
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Sidebar:
GETTING SET UP WITH A DIGESTER TANK…
If considering an anaerobic digester system, Dick Nelles, Agricultural Sales Manager at Engineered Storage Products Company (the manufacturer of Slurrystore), says it’s important to select the proper biogas system design and components. “The largest component of a digester system is the digester tank,” added Nelles. “Engineered Storage Products Company has been manufacturing and installing glass fused to steel structures since 1949. We have been designing tanks used in digester systems for more than 25 years. Plus, research shows that an above-ground mixed reactor, similar to the tank designed by Engineered Storage Products Company, is very efficient.”
Most Authorized Slurrystore dealers can help install many of the digester components, plus supply reception pit pumps, manure storage structures, manure spreader tanks and solids separators.
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