One of the nation’s largest dairy operations is now turning cow manure into renewable energy.
A new renewable natural gas facility at East Valley Cattle near Jerome, Idaho, has officially begun producing pipeline quality renewable natural gas, or RNG, from dairy manure. The operation is home to more than 35,000 dairy cows and is now considered one of the largest dairy based RNG projects in North America.
The system captures methane generated from manure and converts it into renewable fuel that can be injected directly into the interstate natural gas pipeline network. That fuel can then be used by transportation fleets as an alternative to traditional fossil fuels.
The project includes six large anaerobic digesters designed to collect methane before it escapes into the atmosphere. Developers say the facility processes more than 5 million gallons of manure daily through an advanced treatment and separation system before the material enters the digestion process.
In addition to producing renewable fuel, the project creates useful byproducts for the dairy. Solids can be recycled for livestock bedding, while nutrient-rich materials can be returned to crop fields as fertilizer.
Company officials describe the Idaho facility as one of the most complex agricultural renewable energy projects completed to date because of its size and integration with dairy operations.
The project has already begun generating revenue and recently received approvals needed to participate in federal and California low-carbon fuel programs. Those programs provide credits for fuels that help reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
Renewable natural gas has become an increasingly important part of the livestock industry’s sustainability efforts. By capturing methane from manure storage systems and putting it to work as fuel, dairy operators can reduce emissions while creating an additional revenue stream from waste products.
Projects like the one in Jerome continue to highlight how livestock operations are finding new ways to generate value beyond milk production while contributing to the growing demand for alternative transportation fuels.
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