Vermont Farm Projects: Single and Two-Stage Separation January, - - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

Vermont Farm Projects:

Single and Two-Stage Separation

January, 2014

NativeEnergy: An experienced and expert partner

• NativeEnergy has been an

innovator and a leader in developing carbon offset and corporate sustainability projects since 2001

• We have worked with

dozens of leading brands to enable them to meet their climate and sustainability goals

• Our Help BuildTM carbon

financing model has moved

• ver 50 projects forward

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Help BuildTM – a unique program through which our customers provide key funding for the development of a sustainability project that delivers distinctive benefits to business, society, and the environment

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VT Farm Manure Separation Projects:

• Single Stage Separation

– Business as Usual – Separation & Composting

• Process
• Environmental
• The Numbers
• Added Benefits
• Our Roles
• Two-stage Separation

– Decanter Centrifuge

• How it works
• Process
• GMP CEED Fund
• Project Status

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Business as Usual: Green Dream Farm

• Owned and operated by Chris & Anne

Wagner, Enosburg Falls, VT

• 375 Milking Cows
• ~$28,000/yr bedding cost (sawdust)
• Manure Solids go to lagoon
• 3.4 mil gal/yr hauled from barns
• $50,000/yr spreading cost
• St. Albans Co-Op member
• Caring Dairy participant

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Single Stage Separation: Process

• 20% reduction in

material going to the lagoon

• Less manure to

haul and spread

• Better utilize a

waste stream

• Simple process,

proven technology

• Removes ~50% of

the manure solids

• Solids content

~35%

• Cows produces 2-3x

the bedding material the farm needs

• Ability to supply

bedding to neighboring farms

• Potential for farms

to generate revenue

Cow Manure Screw Press Separator Rotary Drum Composter Bedding Material

• Automates the

process of bedding production

• 130+° F for 3 days
• Dries and

sanitizes manure 6

Single Stage Separation: Environmental

• Environmental

– Reduce Methane Emissions:

• 50% of solids kept out of lagoon
• Less solids = less anaerobic decomposition = less emissions

– Improve Nutrient Management:

• Nitrogen: 15 – 20% reduction
• Phosphorus: 20 – 25% reduction
• Potassium: 10 – 15% reduction

– Beneficial use of “composted” manure as bedding – Less fuel consumed to haul and spread

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Single Stage Separation: The Numbers

375 - Cow Farm 10 Years

Metric tons CO2e Reduced 12,900 Equivalent to taking 215 cars off the road for 10 years Phosphorus Reduction (lbs) 35,000 Equivalent to removing annual manure from 55 cows from LCW for 10 years Farm Investment in foundations/structures ~$30,000 Design minimizes building requirements Bedding Benefit Avoided Purchases + Sale of Excess $300,000 Composter produces excess sanitized bedding Spreading/Hauling Savings $75,000 Reduced solids in lagoon to be spread Operating Expenses ($167,000) Power, repairs and maintenance Net Benefit to Farm $208,000

8 Includes drum composter

Single Stage Separation: Added Benefits

• Odor Reduction
• Cow Comfort
• Milk Production

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Single Stage Separation: Roles

• NativeEnergy

– Provides capital for all system equipment – Develops project in accordance with Voluntary Carbon Standard (VCS) methodology – Monitors and verifies project performance

• Wagner Farm

– Provides concrete platform for separator/drum and storage/handling shelter for solids – Pays civil, plumbing, electrical, and O&M costs – Purchases all bedding production from NativeEnergy at a price lower than current market – Agrees to sell up to 1,000 CY of bedding to small/organic farms – 10 year project term – then farm assumes ownership – Farm can buy out project earlier

• Ben & Jerry’s and other NativeEnergy clients

– Purchase the carbon reductions generated by the project – Play a causal role in improving financial and environmental performance of a VT farm – Provide a model for other farms to follow

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Two-stage Separation: P-reduction

• The Goal:

– Enhance digester and separation projects to reduce the amount of phosphorus remaining in manure stream to be spread – Increase the amount of methane reduction by extraction of additional solids – Capture and export the phosphorus out of the Lake Champlain Watershed (LCW) to reduce algae blooms , weed growth and improve water quality

• Approach to be demonstrated:

– Add a decanter centrifuge as a second stage of separation following a screw press separator – Capture 45-50% of the phosphorus remaining in first stage liquid outflow – Direct the “phosphorus cake” produced by the centrifuge to soil amendment manufacturers for use outside of the LCW

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Decanter Centrifuge: How it Works

• Liquids from screw press fed to centrifuge
• Barrel spins at 4400 rpm+
• Exerts > 3500 g’s on manure particles
• Phosphorus laden particles cake on inner surface of

barrel

• Auger inside barrel scrapes out solids “cake”

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Decanter Centrifuge: Process

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Two-Stage Separation: The Numbers

500-Cow Farm 10 Years

Metric tons CO2e Reduced 25,000 Equivalent to taking 400 cars off the road for 10 years Phosphorus Exported (lbs) 157,500 Equivalent to removing annual manure from 250 cows from LCW for 10 years Farm Investment in foundations/structures $125,000 Design minimizes building requirements Bedding Benefit Avoided Purchases + Sale of Excess + Sale of Centrifuge Cake $705,000 Composter produces excess sanitized bedding Spreading/Hauling Savings $390,000 Reduced volume in lagoon to be spread Operating Expenses ($488,000) Power, repairs and maintenance Net Benefit to Farm $607,000

14 Includes drum composter

Decanter Centrifuge: CEED Opportunity

• GMP CEED program funding source for first-of-a-kind

centrifuge demonstration in Vermont

• Opportunity to have incremental costs associated with

design, installation, monitoring and assessment partially covered by CEED grant

• Ben & Jerry’s supporting the project by providing

HelpBuildTM funding

• Alignment of Ben & Jerry’s, interested farms, GMP, State

agencies, LCI and other NGO’s could bring forward a public/private funding approach to implement program to deal with GHG and phosphorus pollution issues

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Project Status

• Wagner Single Stage Project

– Contracts completed with farm and equipment vendor – Ben & Jerry’s has provided carbon financing support through carbon

• ffset purchase in 2013

– Foundation work completed at farm in Dec 2013 – Manufacture of equipment underway, May 2014 delivery

• GMP/CEED Two Stage Project

– CEED grant of $225k awarded by GMP to support 2 stage separation – awaiting PSB approval – Ben & Jerry’s has committed carbon financing support – Farm host now being identified, Jan 2014 commitment expected – Equipment order Q1, Fall 2014 installation planned – Associated studies will address feasibility of adding to Cow Power projects

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