Highmark Renewables Research

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Bartholomew Wells
5 years ago
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1 Highmark Renewables Research Anaerobic Digestion: Vision to Reality February 24, 2008 Compost Matters!

2 Presentation Overview Highmark Renewables Research From Vision to Reality Anaerobic Digestion at an open-pen feedlot Key Success Factors for AD Going forward Beyond feedlots and farms Questions Compost 2 Matters!

3 Growing Power Hairy Hill Project The Project and Sponsors: Grow Gen Energy LP What we do: Who we are: Technology Commercialization Portfolio including the market leading AD technology Strive to place our technology globally where it enhances our clients economics and operations Technology Development Strive to develop technologies that maintain our differential advantage in AD Enhance the value proposition of technologies through integration Bern and Mike Kotelko Founders Evan and Shane Chrapko CEO s Dr. Xiaomei Li Chief Science Officer Trevor Nickel Technology Commercialization Manager A growing team of business professionals, engineers and technologists Overview 3

Anaerobic Digestion Technology Features Growing Power Anaerobic Digestion (GPAD) Technology Package Treats feedlot manure and other high-solids wastes Large scale; for feedlots, slaughter facilities

4 Anaerobic Digestion Technology Features Growing Power Anaerobic Digestion (GPAD) Technology Package Treats feedlot manure and other high-solids wastes Large scale; for feedlots, slaughter facilities and Integrated BioRefineries Produces renewable energy in the form of polished biogas, which can generate heat and electricity Produces bio-based fertilizers Produces GHG emissions offsets Available, commercial technology, developed in Alberta, Canada, by Highmark Renewables Research for global implementation Compost 4 Matters!

5 In 1999, Highland Feeders, at 36,000 head standing capacity was approached by eminent researcher Dr. Xiaomei Li Dr. Li believed that an impending liability was looming for Highland Feeders and other confined feeding operations As a soil scientist, Dr. Li made the following observations: Concentration of nutrients was occurring in soils around CAFO s Nutrients are highly valuable, but can be a major issue when out of balance CAFO s generally have years before nutrients become so imbalanced that a negative impact on production occurs a shorter time span before negative environmental impact Manure has residual energy value Mike and Bern Kotelko, along with Dr. Li embarked on a decade-long journey to capture the residual value of manure and waste products and further value-add these products Overview Compost 5 Matters!

6 The Phosphate Reality Plant growth requires 3:1 or 4:1 Nitrogen: Phosphorous Manure typically has 1:1 Nitrogen is the crop productivity determinant, so manure is usually applied to reach the appropriate levels of N, not P Leads to over-application of P Currently Legal No real economic alternatives Pockets of high-phos land are ticking time bombs waiting for a heavy rain or melt event Overview Compost 6 Matters!

7 Solar Collector? Energy from the sun captured as plant growth and stored as grain Transported to a central location Energy is now concentrated This is a solar collector! Feedlots can concentrate a radius of up to 100km! Feedlot Grain Radius km Overview Compost 7 Matters!

8 Solar Collector Energy AND nutrients Best economic use is to land spread as Feedlot N source (6-10km radius) Cattle are not very efficient digesters How much energy is spread on the land? Manure Radius km Grain Radius Overview Compost 8 Matters!

9 Solar Collector Enough energy remains to recover economically Feedlot km Anaerobic Digesters Grain Radius Overview Compost 9 Matters!

10 Solar Collector Nutrients can be recovered effectively Stabilized Balanced Feedlot Anaerobic Digesters Recycled Nutrients Sales Radius Grain Radius Overview Compost 10 Matters!

11 Waste = Opportunity Value-Add vs. lowest cost economics Manure production: 500MT/day Second most valuable product of the feedlot Valued almost uniquely as a source of Nitrogen What if there is a way to recover all that energy AND all the nitrogen? Anaerobic Digestion promises to do both! Overview Compost 11 Matters!

12 Overview Compost 12 Matters!

13 Research and Development Feedlot manure is NOT an easy substrate for AD Manures in general are POOR substrates for AD But, feedlot manure occurs in attractive quantity! Main R&D Breakthrough: High-Solids Infeed System Subsequent breakthroughs: Active Access Clean Slate Gas handling and cleaning Technologies near to market: Phosphate Recovery Nitrogen Recovery Overview Compost 13 Matters!

14 Construction and Commissioning Construction of laboratory digesters through Design and Construction of fullscale prototype plant Commissioned in February 2005 Overview Compost 14 Matters!

15 Operating GPAD Plant at GPHH Site near Vegreville, Alberta, Canada Commissioned in February 2005 Processes ~100 MT of high-solids feedlot manure and other waste daily Produces up to 1MW of continuous electrical output, biofertilizers, heat and reusable water. Compost 15 Matters!

16 Operations To date: 30,000 hours of cogeneration Last year best ever; cash flow positive from operations Sales mix: Electricity Sales Tipping Fees Solids Sales GHG credits Many many lessons learned AD can be a money-maker in Alberta Overview Compost 16 Matters!

Bio-based fertilizer and soil amendment products Currently produce a solid product 3-2-2 (DM) Highly recalcitrant carbon (predominantly

17 Bio-based fertilizer and soil amendment products Currently produce a solid product (DM) Highly recalcitrant carbon (predominantly lignin residuals) Pathogen Free Weed Seed Free Good as mulch Good as soil amendment Excellent loose or densified Overview Compost 17 Matters!

Anaerobic Digestion Key Success Factors Productivity Scale Returns to scale real, but fewer low-risk feedstock opportunities High-solids Infeed system Scope More feedstock means higher

18 Anaerobic Digestion Key Success Factors Productivity Scale Returns to scale real, but fewer low-risk feedstock opportunities High-solids Infeed system Scope More feedstock means higher productivity More management required Stability Automation Technical support Maintainability Active Access Clean Slate Markets for all products Value-add if possible Integration Overview Compost 18 Matters!

Going Forward Near future and beyond Integrated BioRefinery at Hairy Hill 400MT/day manure co-digester 50-100MT/day co-feeds 40MM L/an bioethanol plant 2.

19 Going Forward Near future and beyond Integrated BioRefinery at Hairy Hill 400MT/day manure co-digester MT/day co-feeds 40MM L/an bioethanol plant 2.4MW of electrical power 10.5MW of steam 110,000MT/an of WDGS 30,000MT/an of soil amendment >100,000 GHG credits Investment grade ROI Overview Compost 19 Matters!

20 Compost 20 Matters!

Going Forward Near future and beyond Anaerobic Digestion Coming to a Town Near You Feedlots are only the start Cities are nutrient (and energy) concentrators Food processing and other

21 Going Forward Near future and beyond Anaerobic Digestion Coming to a Town Near You Feedlots are only the start Cities are nutrient (and energy) concentrators Food processing and other industries equally AD is can be part of a valueadded solution where energy and nutrients are currently wasted One of many arrows in the quiver AD Composting Gasification Overview Compost 21 Matters!

22 Questions? Overview Compost 22 Matters!

Integrated Manure Utilization System Life-Cycle Value Assessment

Integrated Manure Utilization System Life-Cycle Value Assessment IMUS LCVA FINAL REPORT October 2005 Jesse Row Derek Neabel Contacts Inquiries regarding this report can be made to: Jesse Row, Pembina Institute