Ag-Grid Energy – Aerobic Digester

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Ag-Grid Energy – Aerobic Digester

Agricultural & Organic Waste into Renewable Energy

About the Company:

Ag-Grid Energy has a dual vision: to create a business model for sustainable production of carbon negative biofuel, and to make family farms more sustainable by sharing profits from the sale of electricity or renewable natural gas (RNG).

Ag-Grid Energy was founded in 2016, by Dr. Rashi Akki. The finalized business model included a key concept, which was was supplementing cow manure from family farms with commercial food waste from area businesses. In addition the model included offering each farm family a partnership through which they are guaranteed a share of profits from selling the fuel produced by the digester. Ag-Grid started seeking Farm Partners by calling on small- to medium-size dairy farms in Massachusetts. Massachusetts had just passed a law banning commercial food waste from landfills, and its electricity prices were among the highest in the nation, so it was the obvious place to pursue the first project. Four Farm Partners with 180 to 400 milking cows signed on in the first nine months, two in Massachusetts and two in Connecticut after that state passed a similar food waste ban. All four of these partners now have operational projects.

In 2022 Ag-Grid enhanced their position in the industry when UGI Energy Services became a minority partner.

About the Solution:

Ag-Grid Energy forms partnerships with family-owned dairy farms to build waste to energy facilities on their farms. With experienced Development Partners, they bring together the pieces involved in developing a facility: design, engineering, interconnection, permitting, construction, and operation.

The key to successful operation is a steady volume of organic waste, which comes from on-site cow manure and locally sourced food waste from food processing plants, grocery stores, and large restaurants.

The central piece of every facility is an anaerobic digester. Essentially a large, sealed tank with a domed top, the digester keeps oxygen out while it mixes waste at optimum temperatures to support the natural process by which bacteria breaks down organic matter.

The end products are biogas used to produce energy and a nutrient-rich “digestate” used as fertilizer and/or compost for the crops dairy farms grow to feed their cows. Biogas is mostly methane, the major component of natural gas, and can be used to power electricity-generating systems. Alternatively, biogas can be processed into renewable natural gas (RNG), which is used in place of natural gas or as vehicle fuel.

Ag-Grid expects a digester project to become operational in two to three years after it started and from that point on it begins providing the farm with electricity, heat, and an odorless crop fertilizer. Once the digester is operational, the farm gains a new source of ongoing revenue.

Ag-Grid Energy 7 Greenbriar Lane Kennett Square, PA USA 610-574-8737 Visit Company Website

Solution Type

  • Anaerobic Digestion

Vendor

  • Project Developer

Product

  • Energy

Problem

  • GHG
  • Odor
  • Pathogens

To view additional information about this vendor, click below.

Solution Strengths, Weaknesses and Critical Indicators

Anaerobic Digestion:

  • Long usable life and can be run reliably
  • Creates energy and generates environmental credits
  • Proper feeding & system monitoring is required to avoid system downtime
  • Proven technology for odor control
  • Proven technology for GHG reduction
  • Proven technology for pathogen reduction
  • Different types of systems produce varying gas production rates
  • Requires proper preparation of the feedstock
  • Requires other technologies for energy utilization
  • Requires other technologies for digestate handling
  • Requires other technologies to prevent nitrogen loss
  • Complex systems may require expertise not available on-farm

Newtrient Comments/Opinions:

Newtrient is aware of four Dairy installations currently utilizing Ag-Grid for their services and Ag-Grid had a ribbon cutting for their first New York project in early 2024 on a dairy with 2,100 milking cows. This project has the capacity of 1MW and has been operational since Dec 2023.

Ag-Grid is expecting to add an RNG project in Michigan (4000-cow Dairy) and also has projects in New York, Connecticut and Pennsylvania in the pipeline (Link to Ag-Grid Projects).

Newtrient will continue to work with AG-Grid Energy to further refine the cost and performance information as more information becomes available and as new commercial dairy installations come on line.

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