Regional Methane Digester
The Agriculture Today and Tomorrow Committee of the Southern Alleghenies Resource, Conservation and Development Area Board has commissioned a study to explore the possibility of establishing a regional methane digester and compost operation in the Morrison’s Cove area.
The methane digester would process cow manure, about 150,000 gallons per day. During the processing, methane gas would separate out and produce enough energy to run an engine generator that would produce enough electricity to power 1,000 homes. The energy would be sold to an electric company through the local grid and not distributed by the digester operator.
The regional moniker derives from the fact that the cow manure would come from various farms in the region. Single on-farm operations are similar but have different issues.
The composting component would be a byproduct of the digester process. After the manure is put through the system and no usable amount of methane remains, the manure is passed through separation and filtration processes. The solids are used with carbon sources such as yard waste for composting. The liquid is broken down into either a nutrient brine which is a more concentrated manure used by the farmers back on their fields or into relatively pure water which is used in the digester process or released into the surface or ground water.
The objectives of this process are to alleviate the nitrate problem in the ground water found in that area and to improve the air quality by reducing the manure kept in lagoon storage and spread onto fields.
This $5 million project has many obstacles to overcome. Funding the construction is expected to include 3.75 million dollars of government grants and $1.25 million of farmer investment. Contracts need to be secured with farmers supplying the manure, electric companies buying the electricity and retailers purchasing the compost.
The profit margin is thin and any of a number of factors could derail the business plan proposed. Further work will need to be done on this innovative initiative. I promise to keep you informed.
