German engineering firm EnviTec Biogas AG has commenced operations at its largest anaerobic digestion facility in the United States, located in South Dakota. Commissioned through its local subsidiary EnviTec Biogas USA Inc., the project represents a strategic milestone in its collaboration with renewable energy specialist SJI Renewable Energy Ventures. The facility processes more than 300,000 gallons of manure daily, or approximately 1,100 cubic metres, from over 9,500 dairy cows. The target output is 483 standard cubic feet per minute of renewable natural gas (RNG), equivalent to nearly 177,000 million BTU per year.
Gradual rollout of the US portfolio
This facility is the fifth in a total of 15 planned under an agreement with a leading client in sustainable energy solutions. Eight of these units are located on farms operated by a diversified agribusiness group with nationwide operations. Lars von Lehmden, Managing Director of EnviTec Biogas USA Inc., noted that upcoming sites include the company’s first operations in Minnesota, expected to go online later this year. Three facilities have recently completed cold commissioning and are currently ramping up operations.
Local components and contractual maintenance
The South Dakota plant also incorporates concrete tanks manufactured locally by Collins Precast LLC, an industrial partner of EnviTec in the Midwest. According to Timothy Logan, President of EnviTec Biogas Construction LLC, these tanks are the first of their kind to receive state approval. The project includes a multi-year maintenance contract providing scheduled technical services, on-demand support, 24/7 hotline access, and biological services operated from the Watertown office.
Since 2002, EnviTec Biogas AG has completed over 700 facilities in 18 countries, handling a range of feedstocks from dairy manure to food waste. The company’s technical solutions portfolio includes anaerobic digestion, gas upgrading, ammonia stripping, and the production of liquefied bio-CO2 and bio-LNG.
