Bioenergy DevCo to Purchase Compost Facility, Build AD Plant

(Bioenergy DevCo/Biomass Magazine) Bioenergy DevCo (BDC), a leading global developer of anaerobic digestion facilities that create renewable energy and healthy soil products from organic material, announced Nov. 21 that it has entered a 20-year partnership with Perdue Farms for the supply of organic material from Perdue processing facilities as well as the purchase and management of the Perdue AgriRecycle organic soil composting facility located near Seaford, Delaware.

“Our commitment to environmental stewardship is stronger than ever. We see this partnership as an opportunity to further expand on the work we’ve done so far,” said Randy Day, CEO of Perdue Farms. “With Bioenergy, we have found a partner that enables us to be more sustainable, create cost-savings, and help produce renewable energy while continuing to address soil health and nutrient management in the environmentally sensitive Chesapeake Bay watershed.”

The AgriRecycle facility is currently permitted to compost 30,000 tons of poultry processing and hatchery byproducts from poultry operations, and poultry litter from poultry farms located on the Delmarva Peninsula.

Under the terms of the agreement with Perdue Farms, BDC will purchase the existing composting facility and operate it while working within the Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control and Sussex County permits process to construct an anaerobic digester at the site. The anaerobic digestion process will transition the poultry processing byproducts to both renewable natural gas and an organic soil amendment while continuing to support the compost facility.

BDC’s proposed anaerobic digestion (AD) facility will be capable of processing a range of organic material from local poultry farmers and processors including dissolved air flotation (DAF), hatchery byproducts and poultry litter. In addition to the production of truly renewable natural gas, the AD process creates a virtually odor free digestate, a natural soil amendment considered a Class A compost that will be used to enhance the site’s existing compost production. Working hand-in-hand, compost and AD technologies bring environmental benefits to the poultry industry and its byproducts and will produce a reliable supply of clean renewable natural gas—a highly sought-after resource valued by utilities, communities and companies. READ MORE