CHICKEN LITTER

BIOGAS +
FERTILIZER FACILITY

Producing Biomethane Fuel and Bio-Fertilizers

Through The Thermophilic, Dry Co-Digestion of
Poultry Litter with Energy and Cover Crops

PROJECT SUMMARY
This project implements the cost-effective method of anaerobic digestion, converting 8,000 tpy
(tons per year) of poultry litter and 3,000 tpy of crop residues (corn, wheat, soybeans, others) into
bio-methane fuel and bio-fertilizers through a thermophilic dry anaerobic co-digestion process.
This is a standardized, industrial-scale biogas facility design. This facility design with its material
pre- and post-processing components is also modular in design and will serve as a biogas
facility unit such that several identical units can be built in parallel at any future location as
necessary. The nominal power output of the standardized biogas facility unit will be slightly
over 1 MW and will generate sufficient fuel energy to supply the electricity needs of 1,000
households or the fuel needs of 3,000 automobiles. In addition, the standardized biogas
facility unit will generate commercial grade ammonia, potassium and phosphate bio-fertilizers
sufficient to supply the nutrient needs of up to 2,500 acres of corn and up to 2,500 acres of
vegetables and related crops. The project generates not only renewable bio-methane fuel, but
also improve the fertilizer value of agricultural and other wastes by producing odor and
pathogen free bio-fertilizers that are more usable by plants.

PROJECT DESCRIPTION

Environmental Impact

Generate a continuous supply of renewable energy and organic fertilizer

Improve the long-term economic viability of the poultry industry by utilizing and
processing litter in an environmentally sound manner

Enhance the quality of the project area by reducing the storm-water runoff of
pathogens and excessive nutrients from unprocessed litter

Promote a green economy by conserving natural resources, creating jobs and advancing
the next generation of energy technology

Reduce the emission of greenhouse gases by capturing rather than releasing biomethane
into the environment

Production Synopsis

1. Process This project will convert 5,040 tpy (dry) poultry litter and 2,250 tpy (dry) of a
combination of crop residues, cover crops, pre-consumer food and paper wastes annually
into bio-methane and bio-fertilizers.
2. Anaerobic Digestion: The process will be a dry, thermophilic anaerobic digestion, a
biological process in which microorganisms digest biomass and produce methane
(biogas) from these metabolic processes.
3. Plug Flow Digester: The digestion process will take place on a continuous basis for 16 to
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18 days within a plug flow digester (also called plug flow reactor).
4. Poultry Litter: A local litter broker will deliver on average one truck per weekday of
poultry litter, arranged under long-term contract. The processing building will store about
one weeks supply of litter.
5. Energy and Cover Crops: Local farmers will provide the energy crops and crop
residues arranged through long-term contracts.
6. Electricity: The biomethane produced by the biogas facility will generate in excess of 1
MW net power(1.060 MW nominal power, of which 54 kW are for the facilitys
operation).

7. Bio-Fertilizer Production: The facility will produce 5,000 tpy (at average 65% solids
content) of solid fertilizer high in phosphate content and 7,000 tpy of liquid fertilizer high
in ammonia nitrogen and potassium content. These fertilizers will preserve the nutrients
(N, P, K and minerals) without the pathogens of poultry litter and be certified as
commercial fertilizers by the Maryland Department of Agriculture. Both of these
products will be odor-free, due to the destruction of odors (volatile fatty acids, phenols,
others) by the anaerobic digestion process. The solid bio-fertilizer will be dried inside the
processing building for two weeks and will be taken away by truck about once a week.
The liquid bio-fertilizer will be stored in a fully enclosed lagoon and will be removed via
tanker trucks in the early spring and late fall seasons for land application.
8.

Water: The facility will utilize up to 8,000 tpy of discharged water, depending on the
moisture content of the feedstocks but will not generate any wastewater discharge.

Production Process

The project will process 5,040 tpy (dry) of poultry litter (8,000 tpy at an average total solids
content of 63%) and 2,250 tpy (dry) of a combination of crop residues (3,000 tpy at an average
total solids content of 85%). The non-poultry litter feedstocks may include besides crop residues
such as corn stover and wheat straw, an energy crop, such as sweet sorghum silage or switch
grass, a cover crop, such as rye or barley, and up to 500 tpy (dry) of pre-consumer market
food and paper wastes.
The biogas facility will utilize a standardized plug flow digester with a gross volume of
48,000 ft3 and associated pre-processing and post-processing components. The digester will
implement a dry (32% to 35% total solids in the digester) thermophilic (135-140oF) process,
which has a retention time of 16 to 18 days to produce the bio-methane and bio-fertilizers.
The biogas facility will produce 1.060 MW of electricity and 1.108 MW of process heat at a
95% availability factor per annum. The biogas facility itself will utilize less than 5% of the gross
energy generation for its own use. The electricity output of about 8,350 MWh per year will be
supplied to the project camp and will represent about 1/3 of the project camps annual
electricity consumption. The standardized biogas facility design can generate enough power to
meet the electricity needs of about 1,000 houses annually or generate sufficient methane in the
form of Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) to fuel about 2,000 automobiles annually.
The facility employs a centrifuge to separate the digester effluent into solid and liquid biofertilizers. The solid bio-fertilizer, high in phosphorous content, will be stabilized via aeration
inside the facility processing building for about two weeks to 5,000 tpy (65%+ total solids), will
have a 2-6-2 N-P-K content (dry basis) and will be sold to a fertilizer broker for out of state use.
The liquid bio-fertilizer will amount to 7,000 tpy, will have a 3-0-1 N-P-K content and will
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remain in an outdoor, storage lagoon for up to six months. The lagoon with a volume of about
200,000 ft3 will be partially below grade and will have lined walls and bottom as well as a
flexible roof made of materials impervious to water and gases. The liquid fertilizer will be sold
to a fertilizer broker for use by local farmers and will be applied seasonally by the buyer-broker.
In addition, the facility operator will have the discretion to sell liquid fertilizer directly to local
farmers and apply it for them via leased equipment by one of the facility operators who will be a
certified by the state for nutrient management and application.

The facility will employ between 5,300 and 8,000 tpy of water, depending on the water content
of feedstocks, from the discharge of the waste water plant and 1,500 tpy of recycled process
wastewater from the digester. No waste water will be discharged from the biogas facility site. All
storm water generated on site will be retained through the existing vegetation and proper grading.
The small amount of sanitary waste water generated on site will be stored temporarily in a tank
and will be discharged via truck to the wastewater treatment facility.
The air emissions from the low NOx (< 1.1 mg/bhp-hr) certified CHP (Combined Heat and
Power) 1.060 MW system of the biogas facility will amount to just about 14 tpy. The biogas
facility processing building will be retained under negative pressure at all times to ensure that no
indoor air escapes without passing through the wet scrubber exhaust system. The latter consists
of an air filter kept wet with a diluted solution of sulfuric acid that converts any ammonia in the
exhaust air into an ammonium sulfate solution that drains into the organic fertilizer storage
lagoon. In addition, the liquid fertilizer storage lagoon and the on-site energy crop silage will be
both covered by fabric materials impervious to water and air.

Schematic Plan View of the Facility

200 ft

300 ft

Isometric View of the Facility