Livestock waste-to-bioenergy generation opportunities

• Published in: Bioresource technology Vol. 99; no. 17; pp. 7941 - 7953
• Main Authors: Cantrell, Keri B., Ducey, Thomas, Ro, Kyoung S., Hunt, Patrick G.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Kidlington Elsevier Ltd 01.11.2008; [New York, NY]: Elsevier Ltd; Elsevier
• Subjects: agricultural wastes; Agronomy. Soil science and plant productions; Algal treatment; Anaerobic digestion; Animal manure; animal manures; Animals; Animals, Domestic; Bioelectric Energy Sources; bioenergy; Biofuel production; Biological and medical sciences; Biological treatment of sewage sludges and wastes; biomass; Biotechnology; Conservation of Energy Resources - methods; Energy; Environment and pollution; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Gasification; General agronomy. Plant production; Industrial applications and implications. Economical aspects; literature reviews; livestock; Other nutrients. Amendments. Solid and liquid wastes. Sludges and slurries; renewable energy sources; Soil-plant relationships. Soil fertility. Fertilization. Amendments; Temperature; Thermochemical conversion; Use of agricultural and forest wastes. Biomass use, bioconversion; Animal manure; Thermochemical conversion; Gasification; Anaerobic digestion; Algal treatment; Thermochemical treatment; Algae; Animal origin; Bioenergy; Organic fertilizer; Animal waste
• ISSN: 0960-8524; 1873-2976
• DOI: 10.1016/j.biortech.2008.02.061

The use of biological and thermochemical conversion (TCC) technologies in livestock waste-to-bioenergy treatments can provide livestock operators with multiple value-added, renewable energy products. These products can meet heating and power needs or serve as transportation fuels. The primary objective of this work is to present established and emerging energy conversion opportunities that can transform the treatment of livestock waste from a liability to a profit center. While biological production of methanol and hydrogen are in early research stages, anaerobic digestion is an established method of generating between 0.1 to 1.3 m 3 m −3 d −1 of methane-rich biogas. The TCC processes of pyrolysis, direct liquefaction, and gasification can convert waste into gaseous fuels, combustible oils, and charcoal. Integration of biological and thermal-based conversion technologies in a farm-scale hybrid design by combining an algal CO 2-fixation treatment requiring less than 27,000 m 2 of treatment area with the energy recovery component of wet gasification can drastically reduce CO 2 emissions and efficiently recycle nutrients. These designs have the potential to make future large scale confined animal feeding operations sustainable and environmentally benign while generating on-farm renewable energy.