Methane production from livestock manure         

[AUG. 21, 2006]  CHICAGO -- A waste-to-energy workshop for the Illinois livestock industry is scheduled for two locations: in Bloomington on Aug. 30 and in Sterling on Aug. 31. The workshops will feature information for the agricultural and business communities concerning anaerobic digesters and combined heat and power systems for the production of energy from farm manure and other waste streams.

The one-day events are sponsored by the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity and other groups, including the University of Illinois at Chicago's Energy Resources Center. The workshops are aimed at informing and educating Illinois' dairy, swine and other livestock operations on:

• Illinois manure management requirements.

• The role of anaerobic digestion in reducing air, water and land quality impacts.

• Integrating combined heat and power technologies with anaerobic digesters.

• Available digester and combined heat and power technologies.

• The economic, environmental and financial aspects.

• Case studies of existing installations.

• How to obtain further assistance in evaluating these technologies for facilities.

Integrating methane recovery with combined heat and power technologies provides an effective way to reduce odors and maintain land and water quality, while providing an efficient way to meet the electric and thermal needs for these facilities.

Potential users of these technologies are invited to attend from Illinois' dairy swine, and other livestock industries, as well as anyone involved in the design, financing, operation or regulatory oversight of facilities of this type.

Workshop co-sponsors:

• U.S. Department of Energy

• Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity

• Illinois Department of Agriculture

• Illinois Environmental Protection Agency

• Illinois Farm Bureau

• Illinois Milk Producers Association

• Illinois Pork Producers Association

• Midwest CHP Application Center

• University of Illinois Extension

• Illinois Beef Association

Registration is free until Friday, thanks to the co-sponsors. There is a $25 fee after Aug. 25.

How to register:

• By phone: Call 312-996-2554

• By fax: [phone] -- Attn: Sam R.

• By e-mail: [e-mail]

A registration form is included in the workshop brochure, "Methane Production and Power Generation from Livestock Manure," which is available online.

For additional information, see the brochure.

[To download Adobe Acrobat Reader for the PDF file, click here.]

[Provided by Henry Kurth, associate director of the Energy Resources Center at the University of Illinois at Chicago]