EMISSIONS ▶▶▶
Biogas systems gaining momentum in North America
As the race for more renewable energy sources continues, dairy farmers may find themselves in a unique position. Methane digesters – biogas systems able to process manure and the toxic greenhouse gas methane – can reduce manure waste while creating sustainable energy.
BY JACLYN KRYMOWSKI T
his simple solution might be able to resolve some pressing environmental issues while returning an investment to the farmer in terms of power, fuel and even monetary compensation. In North Amer-
ica, such opportunities are taking off in a big way for dairy producers. With many North American farms using confinement-based management, biogas systems work well to accommodate their manure-handling setups. While there are some barriers in the way, many individuals and organisations are dedicated to their proliferation in the future.
Across the continent According to the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), more than 8,000 dairy and hog operations are capable of having a biogas system but only about 250 actually have them installed. In Canada, there are over 200 biogas systems across different industries with over 35 projects in the dairy sector specifical- ly, according to Jennifer Green from the Canadian Biogas Association. “Certain regions within Canada have seen more growth for biogas projects than others due to regional policy drivers,” she explains. For example, she points to Ontario where programs offered from 2008 through to 2018 launched the start of biogas pro- jects on farms, many of which are now operating under a 20-year purchase agreement. Increased interest for on-farm
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biogas projects is growing as future programs and support are contemplated. In the US and Mexico, similar programs and incentives have been put in place to expand opportunities for dairy farmers to participate by implementing biogas systems on their operations. Patrick Serfass, executive director of the American Biogas Council, agrees that policies have really helped accelerate adoption on farms due to work done on the national and state levels. “The biogas industry, with the exception of Europe, is not re- ally mainstream quite yet,” he explains. “That means policies have a significant impact on how fast the industry grows… while the technology is the same, the biogas industries in Mexico, the US and Canada are quite different.”
Worth the investment? What might make a biogas system appealing to dairy farmers is its practical application for managing manure and its over- all fit into the dairy operation. By processing the manure, an- aerobic digestion eliminates odours and enhances the nutri- ent value of the digestate to apply on fields, creating an improved soil amendment. Likewise, the methane that is captured as a by-product of this anaerobic digestion can be used directly to generate on-farm renewable electricity, heat or renewable natural gas. In fu- ture, the potential is there to use this biogas for farm equipment. “The biogas system creates a closed-loop opportunity for farms that supports a circular economy and tremendous envi- ronmental benefit,” says Green. “When you feed your cow, the cow produces manure which you put in the digester. The di- gester transforms the manure into a nutrient-rich digestate that goes back on the land that creates the crop that feeds the cow.” Other ways farmers can benefit is from the revenue opportu- nities of selling power and reclaiming manure fibres to be used for bedding or retail. Some secondary benefits down the road might also include a more positive public perception
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