Joint venture announced for Missouri biogas project

Roeslein Alternative Energy recently and Murphy-Brown, an operator of feed and pork facilities, have announced plans to cooperate on a $100 million ($72 million) renewable biogas project in northern Missouri, US.

The project will use animal waste to create biogas which will be harvested from Murphy-Brown farms in the area using an anaerobic digestion system, designed and manufactured by Roeslein.

Finances will be provided by Stern Brothers, while the Missouri Clean Energy District's Property Assessed Clean Energy (PACE) programme is reportedly also being considered as a financing option. Murphy-Brown and its parent, Smithfield Foods, will provide no funding.

Barn scraper technology will be used to deliver raw nutrients of livestock waste to covered lagoons, after impermeable synthetic covers are placed on nutrient treatment lagoons. The resulting biogas then will be harvested and commercialised.

It is believed construction will begin during spring 2014.