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From cow manure to biogas

Photo courtesy of CNW Group/Anaergia Inc.

Mar. 5, 2013, Burlington, ON – Anaergia Inc. has announced that the biogas upgrading facility at Fair Oaks Farms in Indiana is now operational.  Anaergia designed, built and now operates the facility that converts biogas from cow manure into the equivalent of nearly 10,000 gallons per day of diesel fuel for one of the largest milk hauling fleet using renewable natural gas in the United States.

Manure collected from 11,000 dairy cows is anaerobically digested to produce a biogas composed of roughly 60 percent methane.  Anaergia cleans, compresses and upgrades the biogas to over 98 percent methane under a 15 year operations contract that could be extended in the future. The product gas called biomethane, is odorized to form renewable natural gas (RNG) and then further compressed up to 4,000 psig into compressed natural gas (CNG) for vehicle fueling.

A fueling station supplies the renewable natural gas to fuel a fleet of 42 milk trucks operated by Fair Oaks Farms and AMP Americas.  The renewable fuel avoids the consumption of diesel fuel for their daily milk deliveries that run in excess of 20,000 miles per day across the Midwest United States.  Excess renewable natural gas generated at Fair Oaks Farms that is not used for onsite fleet fueling will be injected into the natural gas grid to offset fossil fuel based consumption by other AMP Americas CNG fueling stations.  The project is expected to save millions in fuel costs each year and reduce greenhouse gas emissions of the fleet by roughly 40,000 tons per year or the equivalent of over 7,000 passenger cars.

“We believe we are part of the answer by using renewable energy to reduce dependence on imported oil. We’re employing proven technology to solve one of the United States’ biggest economic problems. In addition, we’re combining time-tested fleet management practices to achieve the highest possible productivity,” said Mark Stoermann, Project Manager for Fair Oaks Dairy Farm.

“The biogas upgrading project at Fair Oaks Farms demonstrates how forward thinking businesses can use proven biogas technologies to advance environmental sustainability and reduce operating costs,” said Steve Watzeck, CEO of Anaergia Inc.  “We are proud to have been selected to build and operate this outstanding example of environmental stewardship for Fair Oaks Farms.”

For more information, please visit www.anaergia.com.