This is a dairy with 1,400 cows. The farm’s anaerobic digester system has been operating since 2012, capturing biogas from dairy manure to power a genset rated at 633 kW. The electricity produced has been utilized by the farm with excess being sold to the local utility.
The farm’s anaerobic digester turns manure and other organic waste into electricity. Solids coming from the digester are used for cow bedding and any extra is sold locally to farmers for bedding or organic fertilizer. The digested liquids are applied to fields in place of commercially purchased fertilizer to grow all the crops needed to feed the farm’s animals.
MCR was contracted to refurbish the biogas system and install Renewable Natural Gas (RNG) upgrading equipment. This high quality RNG may be used for heating or transportation purposes.
A total of three farms contributes RNG to the system cluster; the digesters capture, extract and clean the methane from dairy manure and convert it into RNG, which is injected into a nearby gas pipeline for distribution. Collectively, the three farms generate about 189,000 million British thermal units (MMBtu) of RNG each year.
RNG production: 114 MMBtus/day
MCR Work Order Approval: October 2020
MCR Start Up and Commissioning: September 2021
Original anaerobic digester: 2012
Digester system type:
Complete Mix
Feedstocks:
Agricultural Residues;
Dairy Processing Wastes;
Food Wastes
Engine-generator set: 633 kW GE Jenbacher CHP unit
