Manure-to-Electricity Project
to Generate Power in Cortland County
Microturbines Use Biogas; System Converts Waste, Controls Odors
For More info:
Ray Hull, 518-862-1090, ext 3356
Cortland, Oct. 29–An innovative, engineered system to capture
biogas from cow manure, and use it to generate electricity, went into
service today in Little York, Cortland County. Dairy Development International,
LLC, (DDI) hosts the $735,000 project, co-funded by the New York State
Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA) and F•A•R•M•E
Institute, Inc.
"Our project, conceived right here in Cortland County, is
being watched closely by dairy farmers around the world. We are
proud that DeLaval, the world's largest manufacturer of dairy equipment,
has joined us in this demonstration farm," according to Lawrence
R. Jones, Ph.D. vice president and co-founder of F•A•R•M•E
Institute, Inc, a Homer, NY company specializing in practical solutions
for dairy problems.
The showcase facility is an operating dairy farm, where the system
anaerobically digests the manure of up to 850 milking cows, yielding
enough biogas to fuel 4 microturbines, and generate more than 500,000
kWh of electricity per year. NYSERDA is contributing $200,000 over
four years to the digester system and microturbine installation at
the state-of-the-art dairy farm, built in Little York during the past
year.
New York Commissioner of Agriculture and Markets, Nathan Rudgers,
praised the government-enterprise partnership bringing innovation
and technology to New York farms: "NYSERDA's technical and
financial leadership has contributed significantly to this demonstration.
Using manure to produce electricity is major step in waste forward
in the management of farm waste and a positive development that
warrants both economic and environmental benefits to the farm community."
State and federal pollution control agreements require livestock
farms in critical watersheds to select manure management techniques
to minimize water runoff pollution, by 2002. "This manure-to-power
technology offers a win-win solution to a tough problem that must
be solved. This innovative, beneficial use provides power and addresses
environmental standards that may be required. NYSERDA is pleased
to participate in this timely demonstration," said NYSERDA
President, William M. Flynn.
The system consists of a manure collection system, an anaerobic digester
that extracts biogas from the manure, and four high efficiency microturbines
that generate electricity. The power is to be fed into the grid and
sold to Niagara Mohawk, the local utility. Through the process, the
volume and odor of the waste is reduced and the remaining solid material,
is then ready for safe crop-land application at optimum growing times.
The facility at Little York was conceived by Larry Jones and grew
with the cooperation of DeLaval President and CEO Hans G. Ekdabl,
Tumba, Sweden. As universities and other institutions have diminished
research and development funding, the need for a working dairy farm
with research and development capabilities became apparent to Joanne
Siciliano-Jones, F•A•R•M•E President, and her
husband, Larry Jones. They began the joint venture with DeLaval in
October 1999, and two years later, now launch this showcase farm.
F•A•R•M•E secured a $735,000 co-funded contract
with NYSERDA in March, 2000 to demonstrate the manure-conversion and
power generation facility. The project is on-going through March,
2004, during which time performance, costs, benefits and experience
running such a facility will be gathered and analyzed. Supplemental
natural gas fuel for the generators is being supplied by New York
State Electric & Gas, which has cooperated in the establishment
of the system.
NYSERDA is a public benefit authority created by law in 1975. It's
R&D program and the New York Energy $martSM programs are designed to lower electricity costs by encouraging energy efficiency as the State's electric utilities move to competition.
The programs are funded by and available to all electric distribution
customers (residential, commercial, institutional, and industrial)
of Central Hudson, Con Edison, NYSEG, Niagara Mohawk, Orange and Rockland,
and Rochester Gas and Electric. NYSERDA administers the System Benefits
Charge (SBC) programs under an agreement with the Public Service Commission.
###
102901 |
