PUTTING COW POOP TO USE
Burning biofuel generates greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. But leaving the cow poop laying around (or any version thereof) generates GHGs anyway. Might as well recycle instead of burning drilled and imported gas, right? At least until there are unlimited supplies of emissions-free energy. (Disagreements? Post comments below for the edification of NewEnergyNews and other readers.)
Oregon: NW Natural Plans to Use Cow Manure For Carbon Offset Program
Sarah Skidmore, September 6, 2007 (AP via Yahoo Finance)
WHO
NW Natural (Mark Dodson, CEO), the nonprofit Climate Trust (Sean Clark, director of offset programs), Oregon Gov. Ted Kulongoski
Oregon Governor Kulongoski, CEO Dodson and other cow poop enthusiasts.WHAT
NW Natural will use monies from Oregon natural gas customers to fund a pilot program, supervised by the Climate Trust, to trap methane from cow manure for biogas energy.
WHEN
Oregon regulators approved the plan the week of August 31. Offset sales began September 10. The pilot plan should be running within 2 years and will last 5 years.
WHERE
NW Natural is based in Portland, Oregon.
Oregon: 120,000 dairy cows (350 dairy farms) & 14.4 million pounds of cow manure/day
An industrial-sized biodigester. That's a lot of cow poop.WHY
- Biogas from waste is still experimental. The assumption is that capturing the methane and turning it into energy would reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by making use of what would become GHGs anyway while avoiding the use of whatever fuel the biogas replaces. As cow dung decomposes it releases methane, a GHG 20 times more harmful than auto vehicle emissions.
- In a $2-$4 million dollar Biogas system: a “biodigester’ uses heat and microbes to break down the manure, releasing the methane which is piped to plant and burned for electricity, the byproduct going to fertilizer. Once the costs of the system are paid off, remuneration for the energy and fertilizer are profit.
- Gov. Kulongoski supports the program and has signed up the governor’s mansion for biogas services.
QUOTES
Dodson, NW Natural: "We're as concerned about climate change as our customers are…"
posted by Herman K. Trabish @ 7:47 AM
1 Comments:
Burning biogas does produce GHG's but in CO2 form instead of CH4, which is 21 times as efficient as a greenhouse gas. Burning biogas results in a net reduction of GHGs. Also, this is not new technology. Europe and Asia have been using it for years. The U.S. had a huge biogas development boom in the 70's but the facilities failed due to insufficient technology. The biogas plants in use today are more efficient, safer, and are generating alot of interest among investors.
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