Biogas
Let me introduce myself: I am the individual Biogas Micro-station, a very precious site that transforms organic waste into energy resources. My system is simple yet innovative: manure is transported to a digester, much like a cow’s stomach! Then, through a low-tech process, microorganisms decompose the cow manure and produce biogas, which my cogenerator transforms into electricity and hot water, contributing to the site's energy autonomy. To complete this remarkable cycle, what I do not transform into energy becomes "black gold," spread on the soil to enrich the humus layer of the earth.
The micro biogas plant transforms waste into valuable resources. Cows contribute, through their digestive systems, to nourishing the soil and keeping its microflora alive. Each cow produces, over the course of a year, the equivalent of ten times its body weight in microorganisms. Manure, an essential substance for soil health, can be further valorized through this plant in the form of energy production. This process helps reduce methane emissions from animal waste spread on fields—emissions that would otherwise be much less contained.
The first step involves a robot that vacuums up the animals’ excrement and channels it into the pre-pit. In this pre-pit, it is mixed with whey from the on-site cheese dairy and preheated before entering the “fermenter.” This fermenter is designed like a digestive tube, with a special labyrinthine or intestinal structure. The manure travels through it for 48 hours. Anaerobic microorganisms then produce methane or biogas. The biogas is captured in a balloon located just above the fermenter, which acts as the main reservoir for the cogenerator, later used to produce electricity. The system is connected to solar energy production, and the cogenerator is activated only when the solar panels are not producing power. When the cogenerator starts burning gas, its engine is cooled by water, which exits at 80 degrees Celsius. This hot water is then recovered and used to supply 100% of the site's sanitary hot water needs.
The electricity produced is used on-site to power the hotel facilities, electric vehicle charging stations, and other energy needs.
After 48 hours in the fermenter, the manure enters a second, specific phase of the installation. A solid matter extractor filters out the liquid from the farm materials. This liquid is then stirred again, oxygenated, and returned to the storage pit, where macerated products are added to restore the pit’s aerobic microflora. The solid elements extracted from this liquid are transferred to the composting hall, located just below the liquid reservoir, and mixed with waste such as grass or fresh greenery—also sourced from the farm—to form compost mounds. This step is essential to restoring a living environment with aerobic bacteria that eventually help transform the compost into "black gold." The resulting compost, reminiscent in smell of forest soil, is spread over the fields to recreate the humus layer and is also used as bedding for the cows in the barn, who enjoy lying on such rich earth.