From cow waste to clean energy, Michigan will soon have a couple of new state backed digesters to get the job done.
Last Tuesday, the Michigan Strategic Fund approved Freehold Energy RNG to pursue a tax-exempt bond for its project. The company plans to build facilities in St. Joseph and Muskegon counties to produce renewable natural gas from dairy waste. The estimated cost for the project is between 75 to 80 million dollars of local investment.
Project developer C.W. Alexander shared the environmental benefits of the initiative.
“It equates to about 4.3 million gallons of gasoline equivalent per year, which equates to about 90,000 metric tons of CO2 reduction, or about equivalent of 20,000 cars removed off the road,” Alexander said.
Digesters can range from small systems for single farms to large facilities handling waste from thousands of cows, producing biogas and nutrient-rich fertilizers as byproducts.
Construction is expected to begin next year with the facilities becoming operational in 2026.
