• Specialty:

  Air Quality
  Odor Control
  Noise / Vibration
  

• Location:

  Commercial
  Energy / Power
  

• Type:

  Environmental Study
  Permitting / Compliance
  

• Timespan:

  2010

• Location:

  Rutland, MA

Jordan Dairy Farms

SERVICE:

Comprehensive Air Permitting Support

DESCRIPTION:

Did you know that it is possible to provide one days worth of power for a house from a single cows daily generation of manure? Jordan Dairy Farms is the first farm in Massachusetts to install a commercial sized onsite cow manure/food waste processing facility to convert biogas to electricity. Nearly 100 percent of the waste treated is recycled, reused or converted to energy. Food waste is delivered to the facility and pumped into a large storage tank; prior to anaerobic digestion, the feed is partially homogenized with cow manure pumped from nearby barns. In the anaerobic digester, biogas (primarily methane) is created, stored and eventually fed to a reciprocating engine where electricity is produced to be used on the farm or sold back to the grid. The effluent from the digester is filtered and the liquid is stored in a large tank to be used as fertilizer throughout the growing season. Any filtered material is then sent through a plate press where the remaining liquid is squeezed out, and the straw-like solids are used as animal bedding. The farm is currently exploring ways to reuse some of the excess engine heat created during biogas combustion.

Since this is the first project of its kind, Tech Environmental was responsible for paving the way with the MassDEP air regulators. There were questions regarding air emissions, noise, storage of biogas, and odor. Tech had multiple meetings with the MassDEP regional engineers and Section Chief to develop an in-depth air permitting protocol. Tech prepared emission estimates, dispersion modeling, odor control assessments, odor control troubleshooting, gas pretreatment, and noise assessments prior to construction and start-up. Tech provided air pollution and odor control design input during the design and start-up phases and during the commissioning/troubleshooting phase. Tech assisted with the compliance testing protocol and submission to MassDEP and is pleased to report that the facility is currently operating as designed.

 

Key Points

• Jordan Dairy Farms, the first farm in Massachusetts to install a commercial sized waste processing facility, converting biogas to electricity. Food waste and cow manure are anaerobically digested, and the resultant biogas is used to generate electricity.
• Tech met a number of times with MassDEP to develop indepth air permitting protocols. Tech completed emission estimating, dispersion modeling, odor control assessments, gas pretreatment, and noise assessments prior to construction & start-up.