| Using sustainable energy sources |
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- We take our responsibilities seriously - The increase in global warming and the depletion of fossil fuel resources have necessitated a fundamental rethink about where we get our energy from. Our goal is to create a closed cycle that will help reduce the amount of carbon dioxide (CO2) released into the atmosphere. However, we also intend to produce high-quality organic fertilisers (fermentation residue) that are as efficient as their mineral counterparts.
We operate a biogas plant in Binde and are currently building them also in Gladau and Fahrbinde. Our aim is to have a biogas plant at every Straathof location by the end of 2011.
At present, we feed about 8,000 megawatts of ‘green electricity’ into the grid annually. We use the waste energy from the plant to heat the pig pens and clean the stalls with hot water. In addition to this, the piglets become warm feed from weaning till they leave our farm. This means we can dispense with fossil fuels. The farm’s biogas plant is a contributory factor to a reduction in CO2 emissions of approximately 5,700 tonnes a year compared with conventionally produced electricity.
Our biogas plant converts slurry mixed with renewable raw materials into electricity. In the digester, the fermentation substrates are heated to an optimal temperature and processed for biogas production. The biogas which rises to the surface of the substrate is collected in the upper area of the biogas tank and processed in the adjacent combined heat and power unit to generate electricity and heat. The substrates left over after the digestion process, the fermentation residue, can then be used as a high-quality organic fertiliser. The fermentation residue and slurry are stored in covered storage tanks at the facility for up to six months before being spread on fields and pastures. The fermentation residue is stored in gas-tight containers to prevent the methane and ammonia from escaping before it is spread on the fields. Compared with slurry, the fermentation residue has a much higher dry matter content and greater value as a fertiliser. At the same time, in comparison with slurry it is practically odourless when spread on the fields.
The demand for fertiliser from the farms surrounding our locations ensures a 100% uptake of the fermentation residue and slurry. It is our aim from the end of 2011 onwards, not to dispose of slurry any longer, but just the high-quality, odour-free fermentation residue.
We plan to build a solar plant at all our locations. The size, location and structure of our operations provide the optimum conditions for this. Installation of photovoltaic systems began at the Binde and Fahrbinde in 2009. Electricity produced in this way releases no CO2, unlike that generated by the use of fossil fuels. Each plant will thus contribute to an annual 520,000kg reduction in the amount of CO2 released into the atmosphere. The design of the pig sheds, the technical facilities and the composition of the feed are intended to provide a low-emission rearing system. Installation of multi-level exhaust air purification plants ensures that dust and, in particular, ammonia are filtered from the air pumped out of the buildings. Through phase feeding with exactly the right nutrients and the optimum level of amino acids, we can exert some control over each animal’s emissions. |
