Power of poo excites dairy farm consultants
Leading the country, a Southland dairy farm is turning methane gas from its effluent pond into electricity.
Glenarlea Farm, a Fortuna Group dairy farm is seeing the benefits of cheaper power that also limits greenhouse gas emissions.
Yesterday, the official opening of the dairy methane recovery took place at the farm.
Dairy Green agricultural and engineering consultant John Scandrett said the new system, which was 13 years in the making, would generate electricity from waste, which would keep harmful greenhouse gases out of the atmosphere whilst being economical. ‘‘It’s all powered by poo,’’ he said.
The dairy farm has been converting methane gas captured from the dairy effluent pond into electricity and hot water for the dairy shed since November 2016, Scandrett said.
Waste from the dairy shed, including manure, urine and wash water, goes into a sand trap then a pump sump, which is a storage tank, before it ends up in the biogas pond, he said.
Methane then naturally devel- ops and collects under the black lining before it is pumped through a generator to make electricity and hot water, he said.
‘‘It’s working well.
‘‘There will be interested,’’ he said.
The farm had about 900 cows that would be utilised for milk, fertiliser and now power.
Venture Southland business and strategic projects group manager Steve Canny said the system marked a significant step towards a cleaner, more cost effective dairy exceptionally other farms industry for Southland as well as the rest of the country in the future.
In the next 12 to 18 months measurements on the pond would give ‘‘solid numbers’’ on the benefits of the new system, he said.
He expected the technology to be available to roll out in Southland farms next year.
This project was worked on by Energy Efficiency and Conservation Authority,the National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research, Dairy Green agricultural engineers, Venture Southland and the Fortuna Group.
The technology has also been trialled in dairy farms in the Waikato, Geraldine and Taranaki.