Biogas solutions for agricultural waste

Agricultural biomass such as manure, slurry, silage, harvest byproducts (straw, fruit & vegetable wastes, etc.) are used as basic feedstock for anaerobic digesters.

Farm-based biogas systems allow:

Electrigaz offers specialised biogas engineering services to agricultural producers willing to integrate anaerobic digestion as part of their manure management system.

Agricultural sector notes:

Dairy

Wood chips and sand bedding are not compatible with anaerobic digestion. Producer must be willing to switch to chopped straw or digested fiber for bedding to ensure proper system operation.

Cattle feedlot

Feedlot must be on concrete to avoid sand and rocks in the manure. Producer must be willing to switch to chopped straw or digested fiber for bedding to ensure proper system operation. Operator must be willing to switch from a solid manure management system to a liquid system.

Egg layers

Producer must have access to significant amount of fresh water to dilute the manure into a slurry. Solid digesters exist but have not demonstrated long-term reliability and viability. Recycling of digested manure water portion is not advisable because of ammonia build up and inhibition in the digester. Operator must be willing to switch from a solid manure management system to a liquid system.

Broilers

Producer must have access to significant amount of fresh water to dilute the manure into a slurry. Solid digesters exist but have not demonstrated long-term reliability and viability. Recycling of digested manure water portion is not advisable because of ammonia build up and inhibition in the digester. Producer must be willing to switch to chopped straw. Operator must be willing to switch from a solid manure management system to a liquid system.

Pork

Producer must work hard to reduce water waste introduced in the manure system to increase digester efficiency.

Fish

A combination of fish manure and fish processing waste is necessary to justify an anaerobic digestion system. Use of fish manure only is unlikely to be technically and economically viable.

Electrigaz 2017