Webinars Looks At Benefits Of Anaerobic Digesters For Dairies

The Washington State University Energy Program continues its Anaerobic Digester Webinar Series Tuesday July 21st. This five-part series is designed to support the development and operation of dairy farm anaerobic digesters statewide, and beyond.

Georgine Yorgey, Director of the WSU Energy Program, says methane is often perceived as a bad thing for the climate, since it’s a powerful greenhouse gas.

“But if we're capturing that methane, we can use it, destroy it in the process, and generate energy," Yorgey said. "So, usually either electricity or renewable natural gas. And we've heard a lot about how our energy demands are increasing. We have a need for clean and renewable energy and what better way to make it than from something that's otherwise a waste material.”

Many Groups Are Interested In The Potential Of These Digesters

Yorgey added these anaerobic digesters have the potential of having a big impact on Washington meeting it’s climate goals, even if digesters are not a huge piece of the energy mix.

“So, we can think of them as a mighty mouse, as it were, for the climate," she said. "So, I think there's both interest from consumers and interest broadly from, state policymakers and the dairy industry, again, responding to consumers' desires.”

Many of the digester conversations are focused on larger dairy operations, 3,000+ cows, but Yorgey says that doesn’t mean smaller dairies can’t get involved.

“For smaller dairies, though, we actually have a different type of digester that can be relevant," Yorgey said. "It's called cover and flare. And what you're doing there is you're covering an existing manure lagoon where you're already storing manure. You're then capturing those air emissions off of the lagoon, capturing the methane that's being generated, and then you're destroying it in a flare. obviously it's better for us to use that methane for energy if we can, but destroying it and making sure it's not being released to the atmosphere is really good for our climate."

There's Still Time To Participate In WSU's Webinars

Yorgey added while this technology has not been widely used in Washington, there are two projects that are going forward with funding from the Climate Commitment Act, with a goal of those projects being on-line next year.

Click Here to learn more about the remaining Webinar sessions, which will run July 21st, September 15th, September 29th and October 6th, or to register.

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