Methane producers ask for grant from state ag

Methane producers ask for grant from state ag
By DAN BARKER, Times Staff Writer
Posted: 11/13/2009 08:53:43 AM MST

Morgan County could have an anaerobic waste digester system to make methane if a feasibility study shows it would work.

Symbios Technologies is working in tandem with Teague Diversified, Cargill Meat Solutions, Leprino Foods, the Morgan County Economic Development Corp. and possibly Dairy Farmers of America to try to access funding for a feasibility study for a digester system.

It would take waste products such as manure and other industrial discharges and use anaerobic bacteria to digest the materials and produce methane, said Kari Linker, executive director of MCEDC.

The methane could be used to power local business, to sell or to produce power to sell to an electric company, she said. Deciding exactly what will be used in the process and what would be done with the methane is part of the feasibility process.

Gary Teague, owner of Teague Diversified and husband of Morgan County Commissioner Laura Teague, has been interested in a digester project for several years and has done some experimenting with a system.

He has also made inquiries concerning setting up a potential project in the Fort Morgan area, according to a document outlining the proposed project.

Gary Teague contacted Symbiosis early this year, providing data and samples for testing and modeling, and the company has visited Fort Morgan to meet him and representatives of Cargill, the document says.

The partners in the project are asking the Colorado Department of Agriculture for funding through the ACRE grant program, and Morgan County Commissioners Tony Carlson and Brian McCracken approved a letter from the Board of Morgan County Commissioners recommending the grant.

Laura Teague abstained from the vote due to her husband’s interest in the project, she said.

McCracken noted that Laura Teague was upfront about her family’s interest in the project from the beginning.

If the project were to go forward, it would be located on Teague Diversified property with pipes from various waste providers to the site, which could cost up to $14 million, the project document says.

The system could produce up to an estimated 3 megawatts of electricity or 2,500 MBTU of methane, it says.

Effluent waste from the system would be stored in newly built retention ponds for later use as fertilizer. Solid wastes would become compost.

Laura Teague said the concept is still in its infancy.

That means it may not happen, but it is a good idea, McCracken said.

— Contact Dan Barker at business@fmtimes.com.