Our company believes only in proven biogas technology providers. Lenders and investors 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 manufacturers and combined heat and power generator companies are based outside the USA so it often requires travel to see their operating biogas systems.
As a result, we flew one of our farmers, Dwight Bullis (pictured right above), cross-country to Idaho, to see a four-tank European anaerobic 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 dairy farms in the northeast USA always make more digested bedding solids than needed, with extra to sell as compost, peat moss replacement or bedding for other farms.
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, digestate and green energy per cow is less.
Growing pile of free bedding material exiting the screw press separator.
The smaller, custom size version (Biogest) that will maximize energy output on farms of 150 plus milking cows. This due to increased retention times.
We visited a farm with 26,000 milking cows. Close by another had 80,000! They are now installing a massive anaerobic digester that will produce renewable natural gas (RNG).
Nearby Shoshonee Falls, the “Niagra of the West”.