Higher Energy Costs Improve Economics of Anaerobic Digestion

Farm-Scape is sponsored by Manitoba Pork Council and Sask Pork Farm-Scape is a Wonderworks Canada production and is distributed courtesy of Manitoba Pork Council and Sask Pork.

Manitoba Agriculture, Food and Rural Initiatives is providing funding for the evaluation of three different technologies which use anaerobic digestion, a natural biological process in which bacteria breaks down manure producing biogas which can be used as an alternate source of energy on the farm.

Agri-energy specialist Doug Jackson notes anaerobic digestion is not a new process, it's been around for awhile and he is confident it offers potential in the coming years, particularly as energy costs go up.

Doug Jackson-Manitoba Agriculture, Food and Rural Initiatives

It's an expensive process.

This equipment and so on doesn't come cheaply.

It's a high maintenance type of project.

It's a biological type of process so you have to keep it going and baby-sit it.

So the economics are, depending on what you're trying to justify it for, in terms of production of electricity say to offset heating and electrical requirements, again depends on how much gas you produce and what kind of conversion you can get.

But it's an expensive proposition for sure and the economics are, let's say, a little questionable right now but, as energy costs go up and as technologies improve, certainly this could be a thing of the future.

Jackson estimates, depending on the type of livestock operation, energy can account for anywhere from 40 to 60 percent of costs, in terms of heating in the winter months and cooling in the summer.

He suggests, if a farm can use the anaerobic digestion process to offset some of its own operating costs, in terms of heating and electrical, that could be a fairly substantial input.

ThePigSite News Desk

Sign up for our
regular news updates

More of the latest Pig Industry News

•   OIE Monitors Global Pandemic H1N1 2009 Situation
•   CPC Urges Action on Canada-Columbia FTA
•   Guidance Document on Pig Protection Endorsed
•   NFUS Urges Participation in Carbon Footprint Study
•   Defra's New Guidelines to Reduce Salmonella in Feed
•   Study to Bring Benefits to Meat Sector
•   New Merck Company Begins Operations
•   Influenza A/H1N1 Outbreak in Swine Confirmed
•   Ensuring the Most Exposed Animals the Best Welfare
•   Pork with Anabolic Steroid Found in HCM City