South Campus Anaerobic Digester facility
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EmailThe South Campus Anaerobic Digester (SCAD) facility is a vital manure management tool for SCAF in that it eliminates open air storage of gutter manure, reduces odors of land applied liquid, and provides additional value to manure and food waste.
The South Campus Anaerobic Digester (SCAD) facility has been in operation since Fall 2013 and has processed more than 60,000 tons of manure since that time.
On December 31, 2022 the SCAD facility closed the books on another successful year of operation. In calendar year 2022, the facility generated over 2.6 million KWH of electricity by converting the biogas through a combined heat and power (CHP) unit. The biogas which is comprised primarily of methane gas is produced by the breakdown of manure and food waste in the facilities 350,000 gallon anaerobic digester.
In calendar year 2022, the facility processed over 12,500 tons of manure from the dairy farm. In addition, over 15,000 tons of food waste that might otherwise be hauled to a landfill was processed and converted into electricity. This electricity generated through a 380 KW engine is transmitted to the T.B. Simon Power Plant microgrid for use on campus. The hot water that is also produced by the CHP is circulated throughout the digester facility to provide heat to buildings and to maintain the temperature of the digester at 100ºF.
-Jolene Bott, South Campus Animal Farms
