vermont farm projects€¦ · avoided purchases + sale of excess $300,000 composter produces excess...
TRANSCRIPT
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
over 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
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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 10
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
offset 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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