Pure Green Energy From Cow Farms

By Ovidiu
on April 17th, 2008

Some Washington University engineers using an advanced imaging technology found out that vigorous mixing helps microorganisms turn farm waste into a source of alternative energy.

Hog and cow manure is a persistent pollutant from very large, industrial-sized barns and feed lots, but can become a very useful resource of methane when broken down by bacteria.

“Each year livestock operations produce 1.8 billion tons of cattle manure,” Al-Dahhan said in a statement. “Treating manure (with microorganisms) gets rid of the environmental threats and produces bioenergy at the same time. That has been our vision.”

The research was funded by a $2.1 million grant from the U.S. Department of Energy given in 2001. Al-Dahhan said the new findings are just a small step toward making a reliable “digester” that farmers could use to turn manure into methane.