ARF23 - The Economics and Feasibility of the Co-Substrates Anaerobic Digestion for Farms in Ontario

| Alternative Renewable Fuels - Project Summaries 2007-08 |

Researcher:

Dr. Edward A. McBean, School of Engineering, University of Guelph

Objectives:

1. To review the technical literature: case studies, standards and practices in other jurisdiction, plus existing Ontario data from related or parallel farm-based studies.
2. To develop an economic model for centralized anaerobic digestion.
3. To convert an economic model into an easy-to-use web-based program.
4. To deploy a web-based program to assess model predictions with a cluster of farms in Ontario.
5. Full Scale application of the program.
   

Expected Benefits:

The knowledge and understanding that this project will deliver will provide important benefits by increasing efficiency and sustainability for farming and food production operations in Ontario by creating new revenue streams (energy sales), waste diversion opportunities (savings from tipping fees for food companies), economic development (new construction in rural areas), and pathogen and odour control of manure and other inputs.

As well, by creating the knowledge to deploy centralized AD technology in Ontario, this will result in Ontario-based technology & knowledge which will allow firms to market the technologies to other areas of Canada and the US, and thereby create job opportunities in Ontario. The outcome of this study will contribute to the economic and social well-being of Ontario; towards sustainable agri-food development, and to broader scientific understanding.. In addition, the modeling capacity developed in this study will allow better prediction of the short- and long-term environmental effects as well as economic parameters to new services that are more environmentally sustainable.

Summary of Research Results:

Not currently available