Unique biogas plant to be fuelled by carcasses

Calgary Herald ^ | December 10, 2009 | David Finlayson

[thackney]

Turning a dead cow into something resembling a jar of molasses may sound like a bad science fiction movie, but the reality is the groundbreaking technology should have far-reaching benefits for ranchers, packing plants and the environment.

It's called thermal hydrolysis, a process that uses high temperature saturated steam and pressure to get rid of infectious proteins and other micro-organisms in animal carcasses and other organic waste.

And developer Biosphere Technologies is preparing to build the world's first pilot demonstration plant at Lacombe after 14 years of research and clinical trials of its patented Biorefinex process.

The resulting ooze is actually safe, organic nutrients that can be used as fertilizer, or taken a step further and converted into biogas. It also keeps carcasses out of landfills and incinerators.

It's especially important to the Alberta livestock industry because it kills the infectious particles known as prions, believed to cause BSE, or mad cow disease.

"It's been a long journey, but we're now ready to get into the commercial phase," CEO Erick Schmidt says.

"The challenge is how to get the value to the livestock producers, who are carrying a big economic burden."

The livestock industry is still struggling with costly restrictions after the BSE crisis, Schmidt says.

Producers can't use BSE specified risk material (SRM)as feed. Federal disposal regulations have created a major economic challenge to the livestock industry, with thousands of tonnes of carcass material being buried or composted without certainty of BSE prion destruction, he adds.

Engineering has already begun on the estimated $35-million plant that will be located near the renowned federal Lacombe Research Centre, which focuses on meat and crops.

Schmidt hopes it will be a public-private funded project similar to demonstration plants in other industries.

"We will be putting equity into it, and hope to get our financing finalized in the next half year."

"It will be a showcase for North America and other countries, and good expertise to develop in Alberta."

The new plant will process a wide range of inedible animal by-products from meat processors and farm mortalities, including cattle, horse, pork, elk, bison and poultry. Even the hair and wool. It will also hydrolyze commercial and household organic wet waste into additional feedstock for biogas and co-generated power and thermal energy.

The thick liquid consists of fatty acids, amino acids and minerals perfect for soil remediation without chemicals, Schmidt says.

"It surprises people when they see it looks like molasses. It could be dehydrated but that costs money, and would take some of the value out of it."

Privately-held Biosphere has got this far without any government funding.

The technology was initially developed at a Canmore test facility in a joint venture with TransAlta.

Schmidt did not know anything about prions at that time, but then the mad cow disease was found in an Alberta animal and he saw the potential.

The multi-year testing of the technology was done at the Roslin Institute, a world renowned research organization in Edinburgh, Scotland.

It couldn't be carried out in Canada or the U.S. over concerns about handling possibly infected materials, and Roslyn had experience in carcass disposal research and scrapie, a sister disease to BSE, Schmidt says.

"We thought it would be completed sooner, but the results had to be peer reviewed, which takes a year, and then published in a peer review journal, which happened a couple of months ago."

This process is certified by the Canadian Food Inspection Agency as an alternative for processing SRM material.

[SIDENET]

BIOGAS IS PEOPLE!!!

(lol)

[colorado tanker]

Hmmm. There's a certain yuk factor to this story.

[corkoman]

after 14 years of research and clinical trials of its patented Biorefinex process.

Clinical Trials? They tested this stuff on humans?

[MSF BU]

Basically the same as thermal depolymerization (TDP).

[Lokibob]

2 words Soylent Green.

.....Bob

[DManA]

Um, doesn’t dead cow = food?

[bgill]

The resulting ooze is actually safe

That's what they always say, until...

[thackney]

BIOGAS IS PEOPLE COWS!!!

Not everyone is happy with this development.

[Irenic]

Is that just a fancy word for the glue factory?

[thackney]

Not everyone wants to eat every part of the cow.

Believe it or not, there are even limits to the content of hot dogs.

[thackney]

But can you heat your house on glue?

[Red Badger]

Rest In Peace, old friend, your work is finished.....

If you want ON or OFF the DIESEL ”KnOcK” LIST just FReepmail me.....

This is a fairly HIGH VOLUME ping list on some days.....

[BlueLancer]

"That's what they always say, until..."

...you're running for your life from a pack of zombies.

[Red Badger]

Believe it or not, there are even limits to the content of hot dogs.

Everything but the "moo"..................

[Irenic]

Cow chips, that works, eh? Super glue gets pretty warm, but I’m sure they would charge more on that gas than Co2.

[DManA]

As I understand it, every part, or nearly all, of a slaughtered cow is being used now. If not for food, for other industrial uses.

[thackney]

The definition of “meat” was amended in December 1994 to include any “meat” product that is produced by advanced meat/bone separation machinery.

http://www.fsis.usda.gov/Fact_Sheets/Hot_Dogs/index.asp

More than we wanted to know...

[puppypusher]

Not if it carries BSE.That stuff will kill you.

[Red Badger]

Yummmmmm.................