poultry profit®

The most efficient way to use poultry manure

The most efficient way of biomass treatment and utilisation

In Germany, approximate 1.4 m hectares of energy crops are raised to produce biogas. In regions which are full of finishing industries, the competition between biogas plants and livestock farming has raised in the past years. Both production branches compete for fodder acreage and the areas to which the nutrients are applied. At the same time, both are facing the accusation of groundwater nitrate pollution in consequence of overfertilisation.

The use of farm fertiliser from poultry farming in biogas plants is at present only observable in very manageable proportions – even though the gas yields from poultry manure are comparable to those from maize. The reason for this is the high concentration of nutrients, in particular the nitrogen concentration. The resulting ammonia content leads to inhibitions in the fermentation process of a biogas plant. Therefore, a huge part of nitrogenous farm fertiliser ends up on agricultural land – directly and untreated. Often the nutrients need to be exported from the regions due to the competition for land, which leads to further transportation costs and other negative impacts on climate and environment.

poultry profit® wins the "EnergyDecentral Innovation Award 2018" and brings home the gold medal

Replacing maize and other raw materials by existing, cost-effective residues is made possible by poultry profit® for the first time.

At the same time, the pressure concerning nutrients is reduced – especially in regions with much livestock farming. The visionary procedure precisely extracts the inhibiting ammonium content of highly nitrogenous residues so that they can be used in biogas plants. The technology can be integrated into the existing system with no effort, which makes it attractive for a wide range of applications.

The poultry profit® procedure A multilevel process which effectively upgrades biomass/residues

With the addition of lime, the nitrogen-rich substrate (1) is processed in a closed cycle. (2) The resulting pH value shift as well as a thermal reaction cause a severe shift of the ammonium ammonia balance. The following effects occur:

  • Ammonium is desorbed form the substrate in the form of ammonia
  • Parts of the organically bound nitrogen also reacts to ammonia
  • Pathogenic germs are reduced

A closed loop supplies the washing tower with an emission-free ammoniacal air mixture. (3) The builtin dust collectors and gas scrubbers, the process air is reclaimed and can be lead back to the process. Within the gas scrubber, the ammonia is eluted with a sulphuric acid. This ASL-solution can be re-used in many processes or could also be directly applied as mineral fertiliser.

The system

poultry profit® was specially developed for the requirements of the modern agricultural and energy industry. For every requirement, there are standardized systems which can process between 2 - 8 to/h of poultry manure. The following features characterise them:

  • Maximum flexibility for substrates to be processed
  • Fully automated operation: continuous control and documentation, including remote monitoring
  • No emissions because of closed cycles
  • User-friendly and easy to maintain, easily accessible
  • No heat requirement and very low power consumption
  • High process safety

The outcome

From the preparation process emerge:

  • About 60 - 90 % of ammonium-reduced biomass. It is characterised by a low water content and a severely diminished bioburden and odour development. The reduced ammonium content makes it possible to directly use organic residues with high nitrogen load in high concentrations to produce energy in biogas plants – and all that without further pre-treatment.
  • The ammonium sulphate which accrues in the purification is a standard, liquid nitrogen fertiliser and can therefore easily replace energy-intensively produced mineral fertilisers.

Advantages

With poultry profit® largely unused residual waste is becoming useable for existing biogas plants. The effects are manifold – all the more, since the base substances are available in large quantities.

  • Reduced substrate costs in biogas plants due to the strikingly decreased use of maize
  • By the reduction of ammonium contents and simultaneous comminution/homogenization of the poultry manure, it is now available as raw material in large scope for all biogas plants
  • New sales opportunities for livestock farms
  • Gain of upgraded, further usable biomass and a nitrogen-rich liquid fertiliser
  • New market opportunities for agricultural contractors
  • Valuable residue potentials are used and emissions are avoided
  • The use of energy crops in biogas plants can be drastically reduced - with benefits for landscape and biodiversity
  • Increasing the acceptance of biogas production and livestock

Target groups

The innovative development of poultry profit® is particularly interesting for the following groups:

  • Biogas plant operators
  • Operators of agricultural enterprises
  • Poultry industry
  • Agricultural contractors

Biogas yields