August 21, 2008, Woodbridge, Ont.
– Organic Resource Management Inc. (ORMI) officials recently announced
the company had signed a 20-year agreement to supply organic residuals
to a farm-based anaerobic digester.
August 21, 2008, Woodbridge, Ont. – Organic Resource Management Inc. (ORMI) officials recently announced the company had signed a 20-year agreement to supply organic residuals to a farm-based anaerobic digester.
Ledgecroft Farms Inc., located north of Kingston at Seeley’s Bay, Ont., is the second Ontario farm-based anaerobic digester to contract with ORMI to receive off-farm organic residuals for conversion into energy.
During the term of the agreement, ORMI will deliver a minimum of 5,000 cubic metres per year of organic residuals to the farm. ORMI will pay a tip fee rated to the actual performance of biogas renewable energy produced from the ORMI feedstock.
“Our agreement with ORMI secures additional farm income from the energy generated by recycling the organic residual ORMI harvests from its urban customer base,” said Ben Green of Ledgecroft.
Ben, plus his wife, Laura, and son, Glenn, have owned and operated Ledgecroft Farms since 1971. The anaerobic digester will be integrated into their 470 animal unit dairy farm operations.
The 1,500 cubic meter anaerobic digester is scheduled to be operational in the summer of 2009. Once fully functional, the digester is expected to generate about 500 kW, 24 hours per day, seven days per week – enough energy to supply roughly 400 households. Ledgecroft will be energy self-sufficient and sell electricity to the Hydro One distribution grid under the Ontario Power Authority’s Renewable Energy Standard Offer Program.
“We are pleased to once again be playing a part in making on-farm (anaerobic digester) projects viable and look forward to participating in additional projects within this fledging renewable energy industry,” said Charles Buehler, chairman and CEO of ORMI.
The company’s feedstock is expected to generate in excess of 75 percent of the energy produced.
