Penn State Study Examines How Co-Digestion Could Improve Biogas Project Economics
The U.S. dairy industry is a major contributor to agricultural greenhouse gas emissions, with manure storage and handling representing a significant source of methane. Anaerobic digestion — a biological process in which microorganisms break down biodegradable organic matter — of cow manure has been widely studied as a strategy to mitigate manure-related emissions while producing renewable energy. That energy comes in the form of biogas that can be used to generate electricity or make renewable natural gas. But adoption of the strategy has been constrained by costs. Now, a team led by researchers at Penn State may have found a way to make the process profitable.