Netherlands: Cows could supply 10% of Dutch gas needs
Power firm reveals first industrial scale biogas from cow manure and outlines ambitious expansion plans.
A Dutch utility company has indicated that it hopes one day to secure up to 1 billion m3 of biogas per year in the Netherlands from cow manure, equal to about 10% of the country’s current natural gas consumption. This would be the first time that biomethane is produced entirely from cow manure that has been produced at industrial scale for injection to the gas grid.
Due to its high water content cow manure is a low yielding-feedstock for biogas facilities and often needs to be blended with crop and food wastes. Recent changes in policies for Dutch dairy farmers such as the dropping of milk quotas has seen herds expand, while regulations covering what can be done with manure is also boosting biogas.
This article is a result of a partnership between ENDS Waste&Bionergy and EBA.
