Dairy Anaerobic Digestion
Workshop
Sunnyside, WA
February 25, 2005
WSU's Center for Sustaining Agriculture & Natural
Resources, in partnership with the Yakima Valley Dairy Federation
and Washington State Dairy Federation, hosted a one-day workshop
on anaerobic digestion of dairy manure in Sunnyside, Washington.
The workshop provided an opportunity for dairy producers and others
to learn more about the technical and economic performance of commercially
available anaerobic digestion systems, financial assistance and
regulatory concerns, and project development and management issues.
Three nationally known technology experts presented on their approaches
to anaerobic digestion. They are Phil Lusk of Resource Development
Associates, Mark Moser of RCM Digesters, and Steve Dvorak of GHD
Inc. These experts have more than 50 years experience and nearly
60 operating commercial digester projects around the world. More
than 10 stakeholder groups came together to sponsor
and plan the workshop. As a result of the workshop,
Yakima area dairy producers gained a better understanding of existing
anaerobic digestion technology, initiated a feasibility study for
an anaerobic digester to liquid natural gas project, and identified
key issues they are concerned with as they consider the adoption
of an anaerobic digester for their farms.
Conference Sponsors
Workshop Agenda
Transcript, presentation files and handouts are in
PDF format. Audio files are MP3's.
9:00 am - Welcome
9:15 am - Technology Provider Forum
12:30 pm -- Project Management, Economics
and Other Issues
Agenda and Workshop Materials
Welcome
-- Steve George, WSDF; Frank Hendrix, WSU Yakima County Extension;
David Granatstein, WSU CSANR
Steve George works on issue management for the Washington State
Dairy Federation in the Yakima Valley and was a key partner in pulling
together the workshop.
Frank Hendrix is the Livestock Specialist for WSU Extension in
Yakima County.
David Granatstein is a Sustainable Agriculture Specialist with
WSU's Center for Sustaining Agriculture & Natural Resources.
Technology
Provider Forum
Anaerobic Digestion 101
-- Phil Lusk, Resource Development Associates, AgriClean LLC
Phil Lusk is the Principal of Resource Development
Associates, and has more than 25 years of professional experience
in energy efficiency and renewable energy. Among other areas, he
has worked in energy R&D policy analysis, demonstration project
development, implementation and evaluation, and program management.
Specific areas of interest are energy economics, environmental policy
and economics, integrated resource planning and utility regulation,
global climate change issues and organic residue management, and
the relationship between energy use and economic development.
During his professional career, he has organized,
directed and coordinated over 90 research and demonstration projects.
The majority have been interdisciplinary projects involving interactions
between energy security, environmental protection, and economic
development. Two projects received the National Award for Innovation
from the U.S. Department of Energy. He has a B.A. in Energy and
the Environment from the UNC-Chapel Hill, a M.A. in Economics from
the University of South Carolina, and an Energy Management Program
diploma from Virginia Polytechnic and State University.
Anaerobic Digestion 101
-- Mark Moser, RCM Digesters (Biothane)
Mark is one of the founders and President of RCM
Digesters. He was trained as an agricultural engineer with special
emphasis on livestock manure management. Over the past 21 years
Mark has focused on methane production and recovery and nutrient
management. He is responsible for development, design and completion
of projects including: 30 anaerobic digesters for methane and on-farm
electricity and heat production; 30+ farm waste storage and nutrient
management plans; consulting services to public and private clients
for waste management and/or methane digesters in Armenia, Belize,
Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Ireland, Japan, Korea, Mexico, the
Philippines, the United States and Taiwan. He has performed consulting
tasks for the USEPA, the AgSTAR program, and USDOE on pollution
potential from farm waste, farm waste management and potential recovery
of energy and fertilizer from farm waste. He has designed portions
of several farms including a 500 cow dairy and a 36,000 head swine
facility. Other work has included environmental regulatory compliance
consulting for farms and industries and expert witness services.
Anaerobic Digestion 101
-- Steve Dvorak, GHD Inc.
Steve Dvorak, owner of GHD, Inc., is a UW-Madison
engineering graduate and a registered professional engineer in the
State of Wisconsin. Steve's experience in anaerobic digesters began
almost 20 years ago with the installation of an anaerobic digester
at a food processing company in Green Bay – one of the first
ag-related digesters in the state and one that is still currently
operating.
GHD, Inc., has been a leader in the environmental
industry for the past 14 years, specializing in petroleum and farm
related environmental engineering. GHD, located in Chilton, Wisconsin,
has successfully designed and installed their patented two-stage
mixed plug-flow digester system across the nation. Their anaerobic
digesters are cost-effective and require low maintenance. By-products
from the digester system include electricity, bedding, heat and
liquid fertilizer.
11:15 Technology Panel
(open forum Q & A with all morning presenters)
Lusk, Moser, and Dvorak responded to general technology questions
from the audience.
Questions you should be asking
about AD -- Dave Sjoding, WSU Energy
Dave Sjoding is a renewable energy specialist focused primarily
on bioenergy with the WSU Energy Program. He moderated the Technology
Panel Q&A. He initiated the discussion by handing out a document
entitled "AD: Are you asking all the right questions?".
Project Management,
Economics, & Other Issues
Economics of digesters
-- Phil Lusk
Financial Assistance
--Steve Dvorak; Chris Cassidy, USDA Rural Development; Tim Stearns,
Washington State Department of Community, Trade and Economic Development.
Cassidy directs the Business and Cooperative Programs Division
for USDA Rural Development in Washington State. This office is responsible
for managing the two key grant programs related to digester projects:
the 9006 Energy Title Grants and the Value-Added Grant Program.
Stearns is Senior Energy Policy Specialist responsible for economic
development for the Washington Department of Community, Trade and
Economic Development's Energy Policy Division.
Relationship with the utility
/ interconnect -- Mark Moser
WSU Co-Products and AD research
efforts -- Shulin Chen, WSU Biological Systems
Engineering
Dr. Chen is a Professor in the Department of Biological Systems
Engineering at WSU. His Agri-Environmental and Bioproduct Engineering
research group is an emerging leader in anaerobic digestion and
bioproduct / processing research. His lab has received nearly $3million
in research and development funding for anaerobic digestion. In
addition to his bioproduct research, Dr. Chen has significant capabilities
in environmental modeling and aquaculture.
Regulatory issues: odor
-- Les Ornelas, Yakima Regional Clean Air Authority
Ornelas is the air pollution control officer for Yakima County.
The Mission of YRCAA is to "Restore and maintain air quality
which conforms to applicable air quality standards, with minimal
community disruption."
Other issues: phosphorous and pathogens
-- Joe Harrison, WSU Nutrient Mgmt. Specialist
Dr. Harrison is the dairy nutrient management specialist for WSU
based at the Puyallup Research and Extension Center. He publishes
a Washington State Dairy Newsletter, administers the Tri-State Dairy
Shortcourse Program, and assists producers with whole farm nutrient
and forage management.
Conference Planning Committee
- WSU - Chad Kruger, David Granatstein, Craig MacConnell, David
Sjoding, Frank Hendrix, Joe Harrison, Pius Ndegwa
- Yakima Valley Dairy Federation - Steve George
- Institute for Washington’s Future - Don Hopps
- Northwest SEED – Sustainable Energy for Economic Development
- Randy Smith
- Harvest Clean Energy Program (Climate Solutions) - Peter Moulton
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Updated
November 29, 2005
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