Egg producer invests in biogas plant

Since the Colombian government started supporting the generation of renewable energies, the agricultural industry has discovered the potential for biomass; however, only little of this potential has been converted into green energy. Now, egg producer Incubadora Santander has decided to generate energy from biomass.

Incubadora Santander is said to be Colombia’s biggest egg producer, producing about 3.5 million eggs per day. The enterprise — which operates several poultry farms close to the western Colombian province of Cauca — markets its eggs under the ‘Kikes’ brand in 14 cities. The company has recruited German plant manufacturer WELTEC BIOPOWER to build an anaerobic digestion plant which will utilise dry chicken manure and process water for co-digestion, enabling the 800 kW biogas plant to operate without the purchase of any additional substrate.

The feedstock will be pretreated in a sedimentation tank. There, the manure will be separated from sand and lime and will be pumped into the 4903 m³ digester by way of an upstream storage unit with a capacity of 1076 m³. Through the co-digestion, the digestate will reach a high fertiliser value, enabling it to be returned into the plant’s agricultural substance cycle for efficient use as liquid manure on its own fields.

The high-quality requirements of South America’s agricultural and food industry were a key reason why Incubadora Santander Manager Juan Felipe Montoya Muñoz opted for the WELTEC technology. The plant manufacturer had already demonstrated its experience through the establishment of large biomethane parks and biogas plants for various customers from the waste and food industries, as well as from the agricultural and sewage treatment industries. Before making his decision, the Colombian operator toured various plant locations in Germany in order to see this for himself.

For the sake of hygiene and other reasons, the company prefers stainless steel for the construction of the pre-storage tanks and digesters. Apart from the high quality and the flexible substrate input, compact delivery and quick assembly are additional advantages of this material. Plant modules such as the ready-for-operation CHP plant, the preinstalled pump and control technology, and the stainless steel panels for the tanks will be transported to the plant location in maritime containers from Germany that will pass the Panama Canal.

Montoya Muñoz revealed that Incubadora Santander plans to establish the Kikes brand around the globe, eventually stepping up production to 10 million eggs a day. With the WELTEC biogas plant set to supply power and process heat from early 2017, the company will be well prepared for these expansion plans.