Feasibility Study of a Central Anaerobic Digester for Ten Dairy Farms in Salem, NY

Anaerobic digestion is a microbial process that converts organic carbon to a “biogas” composed primarily of methane and carbon dioxide. Concerns of odor control, nutrient loading, and contaminated stormwater runoff continue to mount for dairy farm operators. A growing number of larger-scale dairies are using anaerobic digestion of manure to reduce odors and produce biogas to be used as a fuel for heating and/or electricity generation. The construction of centralized digesters offers a number of advantages for some farms not able to independently construct and operate an anaerobic digestion system. In addition, digested separated manure solids can be used for a compost enterprise or perhaps as stall bedding