Through a partnership with California Bioenergy, LLC (CalBio), one of California’s leading dairy digester development companies, this investment enabled the CE&S Dairy Farm to install a covered anaerobic lagoon digester. An anaerobic digester traps and destroys methane (a potent greenhouse gas) that would have otherwise been released to the atmosphere if stored in an aerobic lagoon. The avoided emissions of methane to the atmosphere produces carbon offsets under California’s cap and trade system.
The CE&S digester captures methane from the stored manure by covering it with a flexible, high-density polyethylene cover. Captured methane is then piped and combusted in a high-efficiency generator that delivers renewable electricity. In addition, the digester is double lined to enhance groundwater protection. Liquid waste from the digester is used to irrigate fields and separated solids are dried and used for bedding.
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