Our company believes only in proven technologies. Lenders and investors also want this as do farm owners. There are over 15,000, primarily agricultural biogas plants in Europe alone compared to fewer than 400 in the USA, As a result, most experienced biogas technology providers are based outside the USA and it often requires travel to see their operating biogas systems.
As a result, we flew one of our farmers cross-country, to Idaho, to see a four-tank European digester system at a farm with 26,000 milking cows.
The scenery was breathtaking (Albion Mountains in distance) and the system operated smoothly. When asked, the chief operator reported no problems but did mention that less bedding solids were produced than projected. This confused us, since farms in the northeast always make more bedding than needed, with extra to sell as compost.
The mystery was solved when we realized the Idaho cows, many of them Jerseys, were much smaller than the 1,600 lb. Holsteins in the northeast. As a result, the amount of manure and digestate produced is less.
We visited a farm with 26,000 milking cows. Close by was another with 80,000!
Dwight Bullis (right) traveled to Idaho to examine a Biogest digester.
Growing pile of free bedding exiting the solids separator.
Nearby Shoshonee Falls, the “Niagra of the West”.