Biomass and biogas solutions generate renewable energy from organic waste products, allowing waste to not, well, go to waste. Whether the source of the waste fuel is a landfill, animal, agricultural process, forest, food process, or human, the decomposing biomass emits methane gas, or biogas, which can be captured and burned to power an electricity generation facility.
For example, at a large farm or dairy, the methane that emanates from cow manure (or pigs or chickens) causes global warming approximately twenty times faster as the same amount of carbon dioxide. It may also create local water and air pollution. To mitigate these environmental impacts, anaerobic digesters are employed to capture and accelerate the production of methane gas from the animal wastes. The methane fuel is then supplied to a turbine or reciprocating engine that is used to burn the methane, drive a generator, and create renewable energy. In addition to clean energy, the by-products of the process include organic fertilizer and peat which can then be recycled for other useful agricultural applications, creating a true “closed loop” solution.
Although biomass and biogas solutions are not entirely free of emissions, converting these wastes to electricity results in a reduction of emissions that would have otherwise occurred. It can also solve related water and air pollution issues associated with treating or disposing of organic wastes. Less waste, less pollution, cleaner air, cleaner water. This is good news.
For more information about animal waste biomass, visit www.epa.gov/agstar/index.html.