Integration of Gasification for Processing Animal Residuals

Large quantities of animal residuals are produced every day. In some cases, these residuals can be recycled by application to land in its raw form. In other cases, the residuals must be treated to reduce its strength in order to recycle that material on land. Large production units for producing animals are on the rise, thus no longer allowing recycling on land as a viable option. For processing biomass and water produced from these large-scale systems alternative technologies for removing the residuals from the site of production must be considered. In the case of the solid biomass, gasifiying the biomass and producing a gas that can be used directly or converted to electricity is a viable alternative technology. While processing the animal residuals from a 50,000 head cattle feedlot via a gasifier, approximately 400 MWe of power could be generated allowing for a potential payback period of about 8 years. Since there is no single technology that can solve the problem of processing the entire animal residuals produced, selecting the right technology for a specific application is the prudent approach. Integrating the gasification technology with other appropriate recycling technologies can provide solutions to handling the animal residuals and provide economic returns on the investment while at the same time preserving our water resources.