Digester Projects
Fair Oaks Dairy
Fair Oaks Dairy uses DVO's anaerobic digester to convert waste from 11k cows into biogas, reducing emissions by 94%, cutting odors by 97%, and saving 1.5M gallons of diesel yearly.
Project Details
- Owner: [unknown]
- Location: Fair Oaks, Indiana
- Date Built: 2011
- Labor Used: [unknown]
- Construction Type: [unknown]
- Years in Service: 12+
- Energy Type: Biogas, electricity
- Energy Output Average: >6MW, enough to power >4,000 homes
- Input Waste: manure from 11,000 dairy cows
- Output Byproducts: [unknown]
Fair Oaks Dairy, the nation’s largest agritourism destination and one of the largest dairies in the country, began operating a DVO Two-Stage Mixed Plug Flow™ anaerobic digester (AD) in 2008.
Biogas from the digester is used to power livestock barns, a cheese factory, gift shop and multiple educational exhibits. Biogas is also converted into enough compressed natural gas (CNG) to run their fleet of 42 milk tankers.
Situation
Before any digester
- Conventional electricity is purchased from the utility at market rates.
- Farm used open-air ponds for waste settling. Methane gas from wastes contributes to greenhouse gases at rates 21 times more powerful than carbon dioxide.
- Pathogens such as e-coli and salmonella can be concerns from the use of raw, unprocessed farm wastes.
- Nuisance odor issues can result from manure storage
and application.
After a DVO digester
- Renewable electricity is self-generated and sold back to the utility.
- Methane is consumed by the digester, reducing greenhouse gas emissions from farm wastes by 94%.
- Pathogens in the digested waste are greatly reduced, often to the point of non-detection.
- Up to 97% odor reduction is achieved, as odor is burned away in the biogas engines.
Solution
Project at a Glance
- Proven DVO, Inc. Two-Stage Mixed Plug Flow™ anaerobic digester (AD) technology installed and fully commissioned in Fall 2008
- The end use of the biogas from the digester includes on-farm electricity generation, use of waste heat to heat the digester and compressed natural gas (CNG)
- The Fair Oaks Dairy saves more than 1.5 million gallons of diesel per year by operating their truck fleet with the CNG produced by the digesters
Details
- The digester receives manure from 11,000 dairy cows each day
- The dairy cows at the farm produce more than 6,000 gallons of milk on a daily basis
- The digester can accept a total of 6.2 million gallons of waste
6,000
The dairy cows at the farm produce more than 6,000 gallons of milk on a daily basis
1.5 Million
The Fair Oaks Dairy saves more than 1.5 million gallons of diesel
per year by operating their truck fleet with the CNG produced by
the digesters
11,000
The digester receives manure from 11,000 dairy cows each day
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