Environmental Science & Engineering - www.esemag.com - November 2004
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Test site located in New Brunswick for greenhouse gas reductions
As part of Canada’s commitment
to the Kyoto Protocol,
researchers are attempting to
reduce greenhouse gases and
better manage odours emanating from
farms. Geomembrane Technologies
Inc. (GTI) of Fredericton, NB, in conjunction
with Agriculture Canada, The
Canadian Pork Council, Dairy Farmers
of New Brunswick, equipment manufacturers
including Bodco, Fabrene,
and Pactin, has developed a phased-in
approach with regard to the management
of manure, the largest source of
greenhouse gases in farming.
Claude DeGarie, an engineer at GTI,
says: “In order for a solution to be feasible
from a farmer’s perspective, the
implementation of new technology must
produce measurable benefits, and be an
affordable solution. In the past, farmers
may have wanted to implement odour
control systems, but they were cost-prohibitive,
or not practical, or both. This
new system has proved to be easy to
implement and is not overly expensive.”
GTI’s solution adds a permanent, hermetically
sealed cover to existing holding
tanks and lagoons as a first phase.
Farmers immediately realize benefits
from this first phase in the form of:
- Reduction in manure volumes due
to the elimination of rainwater.
- Improvement in manure quality as a
fertilizer by capturing more ammonia,
resulting in a higher nitrogen content,
which is beneficial to crops.
- Reduction in the need and expense
of adding chemical nitrogen.
- Accumulation of greenhouse gas
credits resulting from the combination
of less ammonia escaping to the environment
and less chemical nitrogen.
- Reduction in odours that can be a
nuisance to adjacent landowners.
- Elimination of the presence of flies
and insects.
Once a farmer has derived the benefits
from the first phase, a digester
system can be added. The additional
benefits of the second phase are plentiful,
including the generation of biogas,
which can be converted to electricity
and process heat for use on the
farm, resulting in additional greenhouse
gas credits to the farmer.
A significant benefit of the digestion
process is the elimination of e-coli and
pathogens. The digested manure creates
a product which is odourless and free of
harmful bacteria. It can then be spread
on land or sold as a soil enhancement,
alleviating adjacent landowners concerns
with odours or potential wellwater
or stream contamination.
The first installation of this technology
is at the Henderson farm in
Irishtown, New Brunswick. The installation
was completed on August 1,
2004, and has received favourable
reviews from farmers who have visited
the project site. The Henderson farm is
already looking into adding a digester
system to create their own electricity
and process hot water for use on the
farm. “The positive results are apparent.
We like the idea of progressing to
phase two and generating our own
electricity,” states Scott Henderson.
Contact: Claude DeGarie, P.Eng.,
Geomembrane Technologies Inc.,
Tel: (506) 452-7304.
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