EXPERT SHOWS FARMERS HOW TO TURN COW PATS INTO KILOWATTS
27/10/04 15:45 Filed in: Biogas | Electricity
Island farmers are to have the opportunity to find out from an international expert about a system for turning cow manure into a clean, environmentally friendly energy source.
Ian Bywater, a New Zealand based engineer, will be visiting the Isle of Wight on Wednesday 10 November as part of a whistle stop tour of the UK. Mr Bywater has invented an anaerobic digestion (AD) system for dairy farmers. This fully integrated energy system project won him the New Spirit Challenge competition and the Institute of Electrical Engineers’ Award for Sustainability in 2003.
The Isle of Wight’s Renewable Energy Strategy recognises the potential for small-scale AD systems based on cow manure. The council’s Agenda 21 Co-ordinator, Jim Fawcett, came across the application, geared to the size of dairy farms on the Island and invited Mr Bywater to meet farmers individually if they are interested in looking at the system in more detail. He should be able to give them some idea of fuel cost savings on their current operation.
Ian’s system combines three technologies to reduce energy bills and environmental pollution. Cowshed waste is placed in a bio-digester to produce biogas. The spent sludge from the digester is a higher grade of fertiliser for grassland than raw manure while the biogas is used as fuel for a sterling type engine generator set, which produces both electricity and heated water. This powers an ice bank, which cools milk. He said: “The technologies are individually well developed but not exploited; It is the combination of all three that makes the system viable, especially today where there are concerns about environmental pollution and use of non-renewable energy.”
Ian Bywater is seeking research funding to enable a demonstration system to be installed both in New Zealand and the UK. He is also currently looking for test sites for the system in the UK. Any dairy farmers interested should contact Jim Fawcett on (01983) 823204 or Jim.Fawcett@iow.gov.uk
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Ian Bywater, a New Zealand based engineer, will be visiting the Isle of Wight on Wednesday 10 November as part of a whistle stop tour of the UK. Mr Bywater has invented an anaerobic digestion (AD) system for dairy farmers. This fully integrated energy system project won him the New Spirit Challenge competition and the Institute of Electrical Engineers’ Award for Sustainability in 2003.
The Isle of Wight’s Renewable Energy Strategy recognises the potential for small-scale AD systems based on cow manure. The council’s Agenda 21 Co-ordinator, Jim Fawcett, came across the application, geared to the size of dairy farms on the Island and invited Mr Bywater to meet farmers individually if they are interested in looking at the system in more detail. He should be able to give them some idea of fuel cost savings on their current operation.
Ian’s system combines three technologies to reduce energy bills and environmental pollution. Cowshed waste is placed in a bio-digester to produce biogas. The spent sludge from the digester is a higher grade of fertiliser for grassland than raw manure while the biogas is used as fuel for a sterling type engine generator set, which produces both electricity and heated water. This powers an ice bank, which cools milk. He said: “The technologies are individually well developed but not exploited; It is the combination of all three that makes the system viable, especially today where there are concerns about environmental pollution and use of non-renewable energy.”
Ian Bywater is seeking research funding to enable a demonstration system to be installed both in New Zealand and the UK. He is also currently looking for test sites for the system in the UK. Any dairy farmers interested should contact Jim Fawcett on (01983) 823204 or Jim.Fawcett@iow.gov.uk
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