Calgren Renewable Fuels

Calgren Renewable Fuels, partnering with DVO, pioneers sustainability in California with the state's only next-gen anaerobic digester. Transforming waste from Four J Farms into renewable electricity, the digester bolsters ethanol production & local agriculture.
SHARE

Project Details

  • Owner: [unknown]
  • Location: Pixley, California
  • Date Built: 2014
  • Labor Used: [unknown]
  • Construction Type: [unknown]
  • Years in Service: 9
  • Energy Type: Biogas, CNG, electricity
  • Energy Output Average: [unknown]
  • Input Waste: manure from 2,000 dairy cows, food waste
  • Output Byproducts: fertilizer, animal bedding

 

Established in 2008, Calgren Renewable Fuels develops domestic, non-petroleum ethanol fuel to improve America’s energy security. Regenis of Ferndale, Washington built a DVO digester at Calgren Renewable Fuels in 2014. This project is DVO’s first digester installation in California and the state’s only next-generation anaerobic digester.

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 Two-Stage Mixed Plug Flow™ anaerobic digester (AD) technology installed and fully commissioned in 2015
  • Calgren Renewable Fuels produces 55 million gallons of ethanol each year
  • Biogas from the digester will replace thousands of gallons of natural gas used to produce ethanol
  • Biosolids will be sent back to Four J Farm Dairy to be used as a high quality and low pathogen count cattle bedding
  • Liquid nutrients from the digestion process will also make their way back to the farm to fertilize growing crops

Details

  • Each day, the digester receives 55,000 gallons of solid and liquid waste from Four J Farm Dairy and about 10,000 gallons of food waste
  • The digester has a fluid capacity of 1,210,000 gallons
  • Four J Farms has approximately 2,000 head of cattle

1st Installation

This project is DVO’s first digester installation in California and the state’s only next-generation anaerobic digester.

55 Million

Calgren Renewable Fuels produces 55 million gallons of ethanol
each year

55,000

Each day, the digester receives 55,000 gallons of solid and liquid waste from Four J Farm Dairy and about 10,000 gallons of food waste

Gallery

We’d like to 
hear from you

Please fill out this form, and we’ll get back to you within 24 hours on business days.