The biogas plant, which was completed in spring 2010, has resulted in a significant reduction in the dairy’s expenses associated with heating, transport and treatment of waste water. Biogas production of 1,300 m3/day has an energy content of 9,100 kWh/day and replaces fuel oil consumption of approx. 900 litres/day.
The biogas plant occasionally produces surplus heat, which is supplied to the municipal district heating network. The waste slurry is used as nutrient-rich, organic fertiliser in agriculture. Production of bio fertiliser is 4 m3 a day.
The plant has been built using new technology that converts waste into green energy. The incoming substrate is predominantly whey (13,000 tonnes), other residual products from the dairy (400 tonnes) and process waste water. The dairy produces 1,300 m3 waste water a day.
The plant consists of two lines: an anaerobic line for decaying residual products from the dairy and an anaerobic line to treat the waste water. The substrate is stored in buffer tanks and pumped continuously to the anaerobic/aerobic reactor. The biogas produced is stored before being incinerated in the gas boiler. The waste slurry is thickened before storage in a bio fertiliser warehouse for onward transport to agriculture.