EnviTec’s 23 Years of Expertise Optimize Chicken Manure for RNG in the US Market

EnviTec Biogas AG, Germany’s largest biogas producer, has been using chicken manure to produce biogas, renewable natural gas (RNG), and bio-Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) for an impressive 23 years. The company is now expanding its focus to the growing U.S. market, exploring opportunities for the anaerobic digestion of poultry manure, and aligning its expertise with the rising demand for sustainable waste-to-energy solutions.

Olaf von Lehmden, CEO of EnviTec Biogas AG, has an in-depth understanding of the market potential tied to chicken farming and egg production. Through ventures such as EiPro and Deutsche Frühstücksei, von Lehmden oversees the production of around 7.5 million eggs per day. Acknowledging the environmental and economic challenges of managing large-scale poultry operations, he founded EnviTec Biogas to tap into the diverse benefits of biogas as a sustainable solution for both monetizing and addressing poultry waste. By using by-products like poultry manure as feedstock for anaerobic digestion plants, the company underscores its dedication to innovation and sustainability.

“Available research suggests there are over 30 million tons of broiler and layer manure generated in the US each year. This is an incredible figure that equates to a potential of over 400 million British thermal units (mmBtu) per day, which equals the heating demand of approximately 3.7 million homes.” adds Stefan Dehne, General Manager of EnviTec Biogas Construction. Based on current D3 RIN pricing, the market potential of the gas alone in the US approaches 4.5 billion dollars per year, the biogas expert says.

“We’re excited in the US to be buoyed by the EnviTec story in Germany. Indeed, with our innovative integration of ammonia stripping technology, we have the potential to create an additional revenue stream of ammonium sulfate in the US. When you stack this value with the gas and the nutrient dense compost from the manure, the economics begin to look particularly profitable,” Logan explains.

Stefan Dehne, General Manager of EnviTec Biogas Construction, an 18 year veteran of the EnviTec cautions that the chicken manure concept must be well thought out on the front end. “It’s imperative to work with the correct data that are realistic, repeatable and defensible in order to ensure project success. The feedstock mass balance must be fully vetted and the revenue streams and costs should be secured for as long as practical.” EnviTec Biogas USA is currently developing several scenarios for potential customers.

A reliable technology partner with deep operational experience

One large scale example of utilizing chicken manure for the production of renewable energy and sustainable green fuels for the transportation sector is Germany’s largest fully integrated bio-LNG liquefaction plant in Güstrow. EnviTec Biogas acquired the Güstrow biogas plant in 2021 and retrofitted the facility to process chicken manure as its primary feedstock. The plant currently processes over 110,000 tons of chicken litter feedstock annually. The resultant biogas is upgraded via membrane technology to RNG and compressed to LNG at the facility and the CO2 rich off- gas from the upgrading plant is further refined and condensed into liquefied CO2 (LCO2). EnviTec is continuing to expand the revenue streams from the plant by incorporating an innovative ammonia scrubbing system to the digestate, creating an additional revenue stream in ammonium sulfate as well as reducing the amount of make up water required for the anaerobic digestion process.

EnviTec Biogas AG owns and operates 87 plants as part of its own-operate portfolio, with at least 12 of those plants utilizing chicken manure as a feedstock.

EnviTec is able to leverage this experience to support the developing chicken manure to AD industry in the US.

For more information, please visit: https://www.envitec-biogas.com