By Daniel Ciolkosz
Biogas has been a successful component of many farms in Pennsylvania and throughout the country, in which animal manure is further processed in a "digester" that produces methane - essentially renewable natural gas. However, widespread and profitable adoption of this technology has been hampered by several factors - one of which is the scale of operation. In the current economy, digesters seem to pay off only for large farms, such as dairy farms with more than about 500 cows (or the equivalent). In Pennsylvania, that means that most livestock farmers are not large enough to be able to benefit from biogas.
Penn State Extension, in partnership with Iowa State University, is looking at a new way to make biogas profitable for more farmers. The approach is called "Grass to Gas", and involves three synergistic components:
- Perennial grasses such as switchgrass can be grown on low-yielding areas of a farm, and can often be as profitable or more profitable than traditional row crops when there is a market for the grass. Cover crops can provide additional biomass as well.
- Biogas digesters, if properly configured, can use a mix of animal manure and perennial grasses to produce more biogas than if manure is used alone.
- Emerging markets for carbon-neutral and renewable natural gas as well as biogas-based materials can enhance cash flow for biogas produced on the farm.
When these three factors are all valid, the opportunity exists for farmers to enhance their bottom line while simultaneously benefitting the ecosystem. This, in a nutshell, is the heart of the "Grass to Gas" concept. The idea began when scientists at Iowa State and Penn State began sharing ideas about their research. At Iowa State, the focus was on "prairie strips", the deliberate planting of native prairie in strategic locations on a farm so as to benefit the local ecosystem and enhance the resilience of the farm. At Penn State, the focus was on finding ways to produce more biogas. When those two concepts merged, the "Grass to gas" concept was born. In fairness, variations of this idea have been proposed before, and in countries with aggressive incentives for renewable energy, farms have been incorporating leafy material into digesters for many years. However, in the United States, conditions are just now becoming favorable for this approach to be feasible.
Farms that thrive in today's environment are those that operate efficiently and actively seek new opportunities for improved profits. There's often a fine line between innovating yourself into debt, versus avoiding change to the point where all that's left is loose change. At Penn State, we're looking forward to working with farmers to take a careful look at the "Grass to Gas" opportunity, and help see where the real opportunities sit for the region's farm economy.
With that in mind, Penn State Extension, as part of the Grass to Gas project, is looking for partner farmers who are interested in exploring new ways to produce energy on the farm. Partner farms will receive an analysis of the potential for producing perennial grasses as a digester feedstock, and the likely impact on profitability of the farm. We're also hoping to feature partner farms in case studies and/or field days that show how and when the "grass to gas" scenario makes sense.
This USDA project runs for five years (2020-2025) and involves extension educators, teachers and researchers from Penn State and Iowa State University. Being a partner farmer does not obligate you to make any changes to your farm unless you choose to do so. It does, however, provide you access to information and support as you consider possibilities for Grass to Gas on your farm. It also means that you'll allow us to share some of the information learned while working with you, so that all farmers can benefit.
Source : psu.edu