Beijing company Jianyan. Jim Muir (third from right) presented a strategic agreement for them to exclusively represent his client,
America’s oldest biogas technology provider, in China.
You like what you have heard about biogas, but if you live outside Europe where it has long been well established, there are questions. What are the potential revenue streams? How profitable is it? Who are the reliable technology providers? Are grants and incentives available? These were all questions asked by Beijing company Jianyan (above).
Circumstances change from country to country – and in the USA, from state to state. Fortunately, Agricultural Digesters understands what works well – and what works even better at your farm.
In addition, we are authorized agents for a small, custom sized digester. These economical, yet robust biogas digester systems can provide reliable revenue streams for small and medium size farms (150-700 adult cows). A market segment under-served until now.
Before incorporating Agricultural Digesters LLC ,we increased market share for biogas digester technology providers and developers via contact with farmers, agents, food waste providers, banks and governmental organizations. Our broad international experience means integrating a methane digester into your farm’s operations will be smooth, and revenue streams maximized.
The Agricultural Digesters team has advised developers and farmers in Russia, Ukraine, Belarus, Moldova, Tajikistan, Kazakhstan, Poland, Romania, Bulgaria, Slovakia, Greece, Turkey, Cyprus, Italy, Saudi Arabia, Lebanon, Jordan, Egypt, Israel, Sweden, England, Canada, New Guinea, Taiwan, Guam, India, Pakistan, New Zealand and China. They have made face to face presentations in Turkey, Romania, Ukraine, Moldova, Greece, Canada and China as well as the USA.
Jordan – Pragma (web page above) is an international development company “delivering cutting-edge solutions for the world’s most intractable challenges”. Their headquarters are in Washington DC with offices in Jordan, Libya, Tunisia, and Yemen. The financial assistance of USAid allowed them to utilize the expertise of Agricultural Digesters LLC to consider incorporating biogas electricity into their agricultural park project in Jordan.
Ukraine – Jim Muir and America’s leading biogas technology provider meeting in Kyiv, Ukraine to discuss financing of a potential project utilizing agricultural substrates. He met later with one of Ukraine’s large meat producers about processing their manure and meat packing waste.
Greece – Black pigs, perhaps related to those used by Alexander the Great to feed his troops. The plan was to build a digester to process their waste – in the shadow of Mt. Olympus!
Turkey – Presentation of American biodigestion technology to one of Turkey’s largest agricultural holding companies. They wanted to digest the manure on three of their modern dairy farms.
Every anaerobic digestion project (biogas) is unique and the farmer or developer must determine which revenue streams can bring the greatest benefit. Depending on the market:
- Green electricity or renewable natural gas can be produced and sold to the grid.
- “Tipping” fees can be collected from food waste haulers.
- The separated solids from dairy digesters can be used as animal bedding or sold to nurseries.
- Pathogen reduction means less air, soil and water pollution, reduced mastitis rates and avoidance of fines.
- Combined heat and power generators run 24/7 providing reliable electricity and heat where energy is not dependable.
- Generated carbon credits can be sold and renewable energy credits and RINs are tradable commodities.
- In addition, Agricultural Digesters is now developing new markets for the sale of excess bedding solids as compost and peat moss relacement.
China – Pollution in Beijing caused by fossil fuels. The government encourages renewables.
Moldova – Farm with 40,000 pigs outside Chisinau, Moldova. Cold temperatures can kill off a farm’s young stock. Heat produced by a manure digester generator ensures that needed warmth.
China – Chinese pharmaceutical company Baohetang discussing pig manure and food waste biodigester project in Pennsylvania, USA.
Greece – Marco Florian of ENAD (Italy) introducing plans of Greek developer (right) for three, three mw, corn silage only, methane digesters.
There are regional factors driving biogas development. For example:
- Several American states have established limits on incinerating food waste which can become a biogas feedstock.
- The value of renewable natural gas (RNG) is increasing rapidly due to environmental incentives. Upgrading biogas into RNG increases profits and we offer this option where feasible.
- Dependence on fossil fuel suppliers is a political liability for countries. Agriculturally based electricity and renewable natural gas are a solution.
- The price paid for biogas, the green tariff, varies from country to country and state to state.
- Expensive electricity from local utilities can be replaced by a farm’s biodigester.
- Pig waste is an environmental issue and farmers face government fines. An anaerobic digester solves this problem.
Romania – Ilias Papageorgiadis, President of the Romanian Association of Biomass and Biogas in Bucharest. Earlier, Romania paid the most for electricity from digesters, over 40 cents/kW.
Russia – Colleague and American citizen Dmitry Beskurinikov (left) of Russian American Trade and Investment (Washington D.C.) discussing converting pig manure into energy. Engine room was heated by a combined heat and power generator fueled by manure from the farm.
Moldova – Renewable energy conference by America’s Millenium Challenge Corporation in Chisinau, Moldova. Jim Muir said “Since the wine industry accounts for 20 percent of GDP, employs 27 percent of Moldova’s labor force and is a potent feedstock for anaerobic digesting, we feel that Moldova is one of the ideal places on earth for our process”. https://www.mcc.gov/blog/entry/blog-09212015-matchmaking-to-promote-private-investment-in-moldova
Russia – Russian pig farmer, Anton Permyakov of Voronezh (left), visiting a rare cold weather pig manure digester in Pennsylvania, USA before the war in Ukraine.
New Zealand – Visitors from New Zealand, the world’s 8th largest dairy nation, came to America to meet with Agricultural Digesters LLC. We took them to visit farms with anaerobic digesters, and those considering installing them, in Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont.
Taiwan – Representatives of the Government of Taiwan. Muir took them for a tour of farm biogas systems in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania. They later submitted a report to the Taiwan EPA.
Russia – Prior to the Ukraine war, our colleague Xaydar Mouktarov attended a Moscow agricultural exhibition and described biogas technology to Grigoriy Aksanian, Senior Industry Development Expert of the Russian National Union of Pig Breeders.
Bulgaria – Orchard owners from Bulgaria (center) traveled to Greece to meet and describe their desire to build a digester for their fruit and vegetable crop waste.
China – Jim Muir (second from right) in Washington D.C. hosting delegation from Shanxi Province and the representative of a Chinese/American renewable energy fund (third from left).
U.S. biogas digester projects
Learn more about our work in the U.S.