Grainswest - Winter 2023

Winter 2023 grainswest.com 27 I n an enclosed handling facility at Nature Energy Månsson, a biogas plant in Brande, Denmark, a massive claw hoisted a mixture of manure and straw. The facility works co-operatively with 50 livestock farmers who supply manure for off-gassing. This carefully contained, excremental mess stands in sharp contrast to the plant’s gleaming exterior. In June 2022, GrainsWest toured the facility, which was launched in 2017. It is obliged to use 75 per cent manure and other agricultural waste. Mette Hansen, a mechanical engineer and the facility’s corporate director, explained the value of being a good neighbour, given its malodorous feedstock. The plant keeps odour in check and the facility’s exterior and manure-hauling trucks are spotless. While staff work hard to impress the locals, the world has taken note of the Danish biogas system. Denmark is blessed with a rich supply of livestock manure. This allows its many biogas plants to collect fresh manure for off-gassing at peak ripeness. “We borrow from the farmer, and they get it back,” said Hansen. The individual farm’s contribution is mixed with various manure types such as cattle and pig plus additional biomass, usually food waste. With the aid of anaerobic bacteria, the Nature Energy digester collects methane from this mixture to produce renewable natural gas (RNG). The farmer receives digestate, the bioproduct of the process a high-nutrient crop amendment similar to liquid manure that can reduce the use of synthetic fertilizer. Food-quality “green” CO2 is also produced. While the methane is used as an energy source rather than being released into the atmosphere, the farmer receives a cut of whatever profit is derived. Europe’s biggest biogas producer, Denmark has aggressively funded its biogas economy. While it has predominantly generated electricity, as of 2020, the country produced 475 million cubic metres of RNG annually. Canadian biogas production has developed in a slower, piecemeal fashion, but has taken cues from the Danes. A 2020 survey by the Canadian Biogas Association identified 279 biogas projects across the country, said Jennifer Green, the organization’s executive director. This includes 61 anaerobic digesters as well as wastewater facilities and landfill gas capture. “That number is relatively small compared to some other countries, particularly the U.S., which has been accelerating incredibly, especially within the ag sector,” said Green. “We have untapped potential in feedstock opportunity in Canada.” There is opportunity for farmers to join this circular process as suppliers or to construct their own facilities. “By layering Mette Hansen of Denmark's Nature Energy Månsson biogas plant conducted a tour of the facility for visiting ag journalists in June 2022. Primarily using manure from area livestock operations, the facility produces natural gas, food-grade CO2 and digestate, the nutrient-rich product of the off-gassing process.