CH Four Biogas
  • Home
  • Products and Services
    • Our Technology
    • Consultations
    • Feasibility Studies
    • Funding Applications
    • Permitting
    • Design
    • Construction
    • Operational Support
    • Feedstock Modeling
    • Digester Rescue
  • Projects
    • Energy Systems Map
    • Agricultural >
      • DeBruin Farms
      • Exeter Agri-Energy
      • Geranik Farms
      • Kirchmeier Farms
      • Laforge Bioenvironmental
      • Petrocorn Farms
      • Seabreeze Farms
      • Terryland Farms
      • Wagner Farms
    • Municipal / Industrial >
      • Composting Facilities
      • Landfills
      • Wastewater Plants
      • Georgian Bluffs
    • Project Locations
  • Research & Development
    • The CH Four Team
    • R&D Team
    • Our Projects
  • Media
    • Articles
    • Videos
    • Reports and Papers
    • Brochures and Flyers
  • FAQ

DeBruin Farms

Owners

Leonard DeBruin

Location

Wolfe Island, Ontario

Herd size

180 milker

Off-farm Substrates

FOG

Design

Digester Size

1000 m3

Feedstock Handling

100 m3 receiving tank, 2 m3 pasteurizer

Development Time

2008 Feasibility Study

2009 Update Feasibility Study

2011 Commission

Process Volume

27 m3 / day

Retention Time

38 days

Gas Volume

180 m3 / hr

Electrical Production

360 kW

Heat Utilization

For process and barn and house

 

Permanent new boiler operating on biogas and/or propane for start-up. Boiler on biogas operates in place of flare, coordinated with oversized radiator.

Background

Challenges addressed in this system were the REA process and the site location.

This system is only second project that was processed under the REA (Renewable Energy Approval), a provision that allows for 50% of substrates from off-farm material to allow for greater energy production: when before that 25% was the upper limit for off-farm materials under the Nutrient Management Act.  The farmstead is also located on an island.  REA also stipulates the waste acceptance rate and storage capacity requirements.

The development time for this project was slowed by regulatory processes that were still being formulated and refined.  One example, the REA process, took one-and-a-half years to complete from filing the first application to receiving the final approval documents.  Another hurdle was the requirement for a financial assurance calculation and a cash reserve to address the potentiality of having to clean up liquid waste storage facilities, should the system need to be dismantled.

Additionally, waste haulers were deterred by the island location and its logistical challenges:  long travel distances, timing ferry arrivals and departures, and overall costs.

Although Mr. DeBruin was able to secure off-farm materials for his digester system initially, and he persevered through the permitting process, the latter also led to the nullification of the agreed upon terms with the waste hauler, and thus he has limited access to off-farm substrates.

Additionally, shallow soil conditions required bedrock blasting and a “close-coupled” biogas cooling field design, taking advantage of consistent bedrock temperatures. Unique site traffic planning meant a departure from traditional siting for the plant buildings. Grid access was also unique, requiring telephone and Hydro coordination, delaying the project by several months.

Of general interest, the farm-based biogas installation location is set among one of the largest grid-connected wind turbine generation systems in Ontario.

 

 

System Profiles

DeBruin Farms
Exeter Agri-Energy
Geranik Farms
Kirchmeier Farms
Laforge Bioenvironmental
Petrocorn Inc.
Seabreeze Farms
Terryland Farms
Wagner Farms

_______________________

Coming Soon...
Profiles for:
Fepro Farms
Ferme Henrard
Jockvalley Farms
Maryland Farms
Pinehedge Farms

Headquarters

1128 Clapp Lane, Suite 302
Manotick, ON K4M 1A4
Email: info@chfourbiogas.com
Picture
© CH Four Biogas Inc.
Weebly Themes