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Waste-to-energy system at Cargill beef facility
August 3, 2011 by Manure Manager
July 29, 2011, High
River, Alb – Cargill recently announced it will be investing approximately $36
million (Canadian) in a waste-to-energy project at its High River, Alberta,
beef processing facility that will increase to 80 percent the plant’s ability to
generate energy it uses to produce meat products.
July 29, 2011, High
River, Alb – Cargill recently announced it will be investing approximately $36
million (Canadian) in a waste-to-energy project at its High River, Alberta,
beef processing facility that will increase to 80 percent the plant’s ability to
generate energy it uses to produce meat products.
A portion of the funds –
approximately $10 million – will be provided by the Government of Canada as
part of an initiative to help meat processors reduce their environmental
footprints. This public-private collaboration for creating energy from waste
that otherwise would be destined for a landfill is the first of its type in
North America and the largest single waste-to-energy project Cargill has
undertaken on the continent.
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“Using existing
technology, we will install specialized equipment that will make our High River
beef processing facility the most sustainable and environmentally friendly beef
processing facility in the world,” stated John Keating, president of Cargill
Beef. “Recognizing the environmental, agricultural and community value and
benefits of this project is a tribute to the Canadian government and its
visionary approach to working with business to find mutually beneficial
solutions to long-term challenges.”
Once it is in operation,
the new system will eliminate 21,000 metric tons of fossil fuel emissions
annually, in addition to mitigating the facility’s electric energy requirements
by producing 1.4 megawatts of power. Using organic waste that would
otherwise go to landfills also reduces the load on those sites. Combined
with the facility’s existing methane gas capture that prevents release of this
greenhouse gas into the atmosphere, and its subsequent use as fuel for the
plant, 75-to-80 percent of the facility’s energy needs will come from renewable
sources.
Cargill’s High River
beef processing facility employs approximately 2,000 people who harvest 4,000
beef cattle daily, representing $1 billion in annual cattle purchases and
totaling one-third of the nation’s processed beef volume. The facility is also
ISO 14001 certified, meaning the plant has an Environmental Management System
(EMS) focused on a systematic and measurable approach to improving its
environmental impact. ISO (International Organization for Standardization) is
recognized as the world’s largest developer of international standards.
“We care a great deal
about the environment because it’s the only one we have, therefore we care
about finding better ways to feed the growing world population in a sustainable
way,” said Keating. “The High River waste-to-energy project is another step in
the right direction, and one that could potentially be replicated at our other
beef processing facilities around the world, which would be a gratifying
achievement.”