Dallas-based Dean Foods to develop poo-powered energy system

by Chad Jones

DALLAS — On Wednesday, Dean Foods Company (NYSE:DF) announced that it has begun development of an anaerobic digester, also known unofficially as a poop-to-power energy system.

An anaerobic digester, also known as a really efficient port-a-potty.

What the anaerobic digester will do is capture animal waste from the farm's approximately 4,700 dairy cows, extract the naturally-occurring methane found within said waste, and use said methane to generate electricity.

"Managing greenhouse gas emissions and animal waste is one of the dairy industry's biggest challenges," said Gregg Engles, Chairman and CEO of Dean Foods, in a recent press release. "And we are very pleased that Big Sky Dairy has agreed to be our partnership's initial project."

The digester project, located on the Big Sky Dairy farm near Gooding, Idaho, is expected to have generate more than one megawatt per hour of renewable "green" power, which will be sold into the local power grid and should provide enough renewable energy annually to power approximately 650 homes.The digester will also produce a sanitary fiber by-product that can be used as clean animal bedding or as organic soil enhancement. By reducing emissions of methane, a powerful greenhouse gas, the digester will also generate carbon credits and renewable energy credits.

The project is expected to be operational by early 2009, will be owned and operated by a partnership between Dean Foods and AgPower Partners, LLC. AgPower Partners, LLC consists of an affiliate of Andgar Corporation, an affiliate of GHD, Inc. and Cenergy USA, Inc.

FYI: Dean Foods Company is the largest processor and distributor of milk and other dairy products in the United States.

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SeeCristyType, says:

Gross but green. That's sort of cool. You get all the good environmental stories, Chad.

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1 year, 6 months ago
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Pavel Lishin, says:

Will smaller units be available for the home user? I for one am tired of my waste going to waste.

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1 year, 6 months ago
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Scott Doyle, says:

Finally, television has done me right! Saw this in an ep of Dirty Jobs - I think it was <a href="http://www.tv.com/dirty-jobs/avian-vomitologist/episode/638304/recap.html">this one</a> (even thought it's not mentioned in the description).

Pavel, according to <a href="http://journeytoforever.org/biofuel_library/MethaneDigesters/MD2.html">L. John Fry</a>, average cow produces 52 pounds of feces a day...whereas average human is only good for a half pound per day.

Also, from what I gather - cargon to nitrogen ratio is key, and cows have a ratio of 18 compared to our 6-10. So not only do they crap a lot more, it's more efficient than ours. Seems C/N of 30 is optimal, and horses are at 25...but there's obv not nearly as many of them, and their poo isn't so easily round up.

For those interested (I am, but I can't read all of this at work - at least, I shouldn't), here's the Dep't of Energy's explanation of <a href="http://www.eere.energy.gov/consumer/your_workplace/farms_ranches/index.cfm/mytopic=30003">how it works</a>.

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1 year, 6 months ago
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David Gouldin, says:

Better waste management does not begin to absolve commercial dairy of their abusive treatment of cows or their <a href="http://www.pegasusnews.com/news/2007/jul/24/dallas-based-dean-foods-sued-price-fixing/#c13350">questionable business practices</a>.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=...

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1 year, 6 months ago
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Pavel Lishin, says:

Whoa there, hippie, nobody asked anything about cow feelings.

Actually, I'm with you on this. Animals get treated like crap. I've been trying to eat a more vegetarian diet lately, but someone will have to break my jaw before I give up cheese and fish.

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1 year, 6 months ago
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David Gouldin, says:

I'm not a vegetarian, I'm just more conscientious about the sources of my food. I actually just today made a trip to the <a href="http://www.randcdairy.com/">farm</a> where I get raw goat milk, eggs, butter, cream, and yogurt. There's a level of accountability with locally produced food you don't get from commercial sources that tends to eliminate all of the ethically questionable behavior. I know her goats and cows are well taken care of because I see them once every couple of weeks or so. By contrast, corporations, especially <a href="http://finance.google.com/finance?q=NYSE:DF">publicly traded ones</a> who live or die by earnings reports, have what could be argued a responsibility to ignore ethics in favor of profitability.

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1 year, 6 months ago
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Pavel Lishin, says:

There are a few places I'm on the waiting list for to pick stuff up, and I couldn't go and just buy stuff off the truck today because I have a cold and would rather lounge around the house in my underwear than truck out somewhere far away. :(