Food and Farm Waste Co-Digestion in New York

08 June 2011 A digester will convert mixed food and animal waste at Synergy Diary LLC in Wyoming County, New York into energy is under construction, according to a report in The Daily News. The facility will use methane generated from the anaerobic digestion (AD) of manure from the farm's 2000 dairy cows to power generators. CH4, which is based in Atlantic Beach, Florida will build and operate the biogas facility. Synergy Diary and CH4 will own Synergy Biogas. The farm is working with anaerobic digestion specialist, CH4 Biogas on the mixed-waste AD and renewable energy facility on Lemley Road. There are currently a total of 16 AD plants in New York, four of them in Wyoming County. The Synergy facility will be the largest in the state and will also be the first biogas plant in New York designed specifically for co-digestion of manure with food-grade organic waste. In addition to producing renewable energy, the partners say that the facility will reduce greenhouse gas emissions from the farm, divert organic wastes from landfills, reduce manure odours and provide the farm with manure handling systems to more efficiently manage nutrients and protect the environment. It is claimed that the project will sell over 10,000 MWh per year of electricity to the grid, reducing greenhouse gas emissions by the equivalent of 8500 tons (7700 tonnes) of carbon dioxide per year. "We are excited to be building our first mixed-waste facility in Wyoming County, one of the leading dairy production regions in the U.S.," Bob Blythe, president of CH4 Biogas, said in a news release. "Everyone we have worked with in the county has shown a strong commitment to a sustainable dairy industry and protecting the environment." "The location of a biogas plant on site has a couple of distinct advantages for us," said John Noble, president of Synergy LLC, co-owner of the dairy farm. "Our owners have a real commitment to the environment, and the generation of green power from this waste stream is an important step for the future sustainability of this business." The project is expected to be complete by September. Sign up for Waste Management World's Free E-Mail Newsletters