Biogas Plants to Convert Residues from Farmed Pigs
CHILE – Two biogas plants will decrease pollution from 80,000 commercially farmed pigs in the Pichidegua region, whilst providing electricity for 2,500 families.
13 November 2013
2 minute read
By: The projects - at Saint Irene and Las Palmas - will reduce odour and flies, the Ministry of Agriculture has announced.
The residues of the two sites have been estimated at 700 cubed metres every day. The proposal is to convert the waste into biogas to power a one megawatt electricity generator, designed by Austral.
Agribusiness company, Maxagro, has sponsored the scheme as part of ambitious targets to for supplying between 800Kwh and 1mWh of energy from farm residues.
Maxagro intends to feed the electricity into the Central Interconnected System.
María Ignacia Benítez Pereira, Chile’s Environment Minister praised the plants, describing them as a ‘good reflection’ of energy production as they are creating power from waste.
Pig production is an important part of the country’s economy, he added.
"Chile is facing the challenge of increasing energy supplies to meet expected growth targets and become a developed country,” said Agricultural Minister, Alvaro Cruzat.
