Did you know that farmers and businesses are benefiting from a new source of renewable energy that used to pollute our waterways?
Large amounts of pig manure produced by thousands of animals in giant hog farms can pollute rivers, poison groundwater, and pump out methane clouds, carbon dioxide, and nitrous dioxide that harms the environment. Therefore, alternative uses to solve this issue and to generate electricity makes a lot of sense. The problem was that no one has been certain which way of doing it makes the most electricity for the least greenhouse gas effect.
Big companies like Duke Energy use pig’s waste to produce electricity that can power homes more than 800 homes a year! Now, what did they do? Companies turn waste from piggery farm to reliable energy (electricity) that is enough to create a sustainable business that can adapt from rising electricity prices, keeping energy costs down and conform to the changing commodity values.
Putting Those Waste Into A Purpose
That’s right. If you’re already familiar or might hear of the word “waste to energy” or the WTE process, you’d likely know what will those pig’s poo might become. Glad that studies prove that there’s really an innovative way of creating or producing energy that everyone can use, especially those in the business sector.
Pigs, the unlikely source of this biogas energy solution. The same goes from the previous article, “Change The Way You Think About Cattle Waste,” this article might also change the way you think about pigs! The concept behind biogas energy production is to capture methane and then purify it by removing all the water, carbon dioxide, and hydrogen sulfide. According to the Department of Environment, Land, Water, and Planning (DELWP), there are 7 critical stages of turning piggery manure into energy; the following are stated below:
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- Automatic and continuous waste collection.
- Grit removal.
- Slurry thickening.
- Primary AD (anaerobic digestion).
- Secondary AD (anaerobic digestion).
- Biogas purification.
- Generation of electricity.
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Turning Waste Into Rich Resources
Biogas energy solution through the WTE process is fascinating. This gives a way to solve the two major problems: the availability and cost of power and the pig’s waste itself. The transformation of pig waste into electricity through biogas plants and digesters has become an enticing prospect, and many businesses, not only farmers, are turning to it.
“Converting waste from the farms into energy sources isn’t only good for the environment but a smart and cost-effective way of generating power,” added by Max Hammond, CEO of Tilly’s Farm. Furthermore, pig manure provides more than just electricity. Accordingly, if you’re worried about the leftovers, it can still be reused and flush back the manure from the shed since. In other words, “no waste is wasted.”
Besides, pig’s waste doesn’t only contribute to electricity. Pietrosemoli-Castagni ( a research associate at North Carolina State University) asserts that biogas energy has other benefits. This ultimate solution allows us to save enormous amounts of landfill, reusing food waste, recycling, and turning it into pork.
For example, you own land that can cater to 1 piggery and farmland. You can grow crops or grains that will be used as pig feed containing vitamins and minerals. Right then, when your pigs generate wastes, you can recycle it, and it will be a “cycle.” Did you see it? There’s something extraordinary about waste to energy solution. We’re producing safe, nutritious pork and doing it an environmentally friendly way.
