Farm manure could be a viable source of renewable energy to help reduce greenhouse gas emissions that cause global warming.
Researchers at the University of Waterloo are developing technology to produce renewable natural gas from manure so it can be added to the existing energy supply system for heating homes and powering industries. That would eliminate particularly harmful gases released by naturally decomposing manure when it is spread on farm fields as fertilizer and partially replace fossil natural gas, a significant contributor to global warming.
“There are multiple ways we can benefit from this single approach,” said David Simakov, a professor of chemical engineering at Waterloo. “The potential is huge.”
Simakov said the technology could be viable with several kinds of manure, particularly cow and pig manure, as well as at landfill sites.
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