Brightmark Energy has launched a biogas project in Yakima County, Washington, to convert 150,000 gallons of dairy waste from 7,000 cows into 160,000 MMBtu of renewable natural gas (RNG) per day.
Image: Brightmark Energy has collaborated with Promus Energy, and DeRuyter Dairies to form the joint venture Augean Renewable Natural Gas for the project. Photo: Courtesy of Gerald Krieseler from Pixabay.
Brightmark said that the project is capable of processing dairy wastes to produce RNG equivalent of 1.4 million gallons of gasoline, and other products each year.
Brightmark Energy has collaborated with Promus Energy, and DeRuyter Dairies to form the joint venture Augean Renewable Natural Gas (RNG) for the development of the project, where it manages the joint venture and Promus Energy will serve as the project manager.
A key part of the Augean project includes the construction of new pipeline infrastructure that sets the table for RNG projects for other dairies in the area.
The Augean project is expected to gather biogas from DeRuyter’s anaerobic digester exclusively fueled by manure while the raw biogas is cleaned, upgraded, and compressed into pipeline quality RNG and transported through the new pipeline system and injected into the nearby Williams NW regional gas transmission line for sale as vehicle fuel.
Augean project is designed to generate other renewable products in addition to the RNG from anaerobic digestion process.
Brightmark CEO Bob Powell said: “Brightmark specializes in energy technologies that turn waste into productive, sustainable energy solutions.
“We are working to develop similar projects across the country to help dairy farmers mitigate the regulatory and environmental concerns associated with waste management, while transforming manure management from a cost center to a profit center.”
The company said that its investment in the Augean project allows DeRuyter to upgrade the existing 12 year-old manure collection system and digester to increase its capacity and conserve water.
DeRuyter Dairies co-owner Dan DeRuyter said: “On day one after the digester upgrades were complete, we were out there emptying manure ponds to turn that waste back into useful products and to recycle nutrients. We’re glad for the opportunity to lead the way for others in the industry in this arena.”
Brightmark has also secured a $1.4m grant from Yakima County and a $500,000 Rural Energy for American Program (REAP) grant from the U.S. Department of Agriculture for the Augean biogas project.