Dicklands Farm: A Model of Circular Economy in Canada

With over twenty projects underway across North America and units installed in 8 American States and 3 Canadian Provinces, PRODEVAL is contributing to the development of green energy in North America.

The Dicklands Farm project is a good example of a circular economy model contributing to reducing the carbon footprint in Canada.

Located in British Columbia, Dicklands Farm manages 300 dairy cows and efficiently repurposes manure and organic waste to produce biogas. This biogas is treated and upgraded into RNG using a PlanET Stateron, powered by PRODEVAL biogas upgrading unit, VALOPUR 06, achieving an upgrading efficiency of over 99.5%.

Commissioned in April 2023, the biogas upgrading unit carried out its first injection of RNG into the gas network in the same month. With a biogas flow rate of 683 scfm, the injected RNG is 452 scfm, meeting the annual needs of approximately 2,000 households.

Operating as a self-automated unit, the equipment maintains optimal performance regardless of the gas flow, quality, or temperature, and requires minimal on-site operator intervention.

This project not only supports the dairy farm by diversifying its sources of income but also promotes long-term environmental sustainability. The digestate, rich in nutrients, is used as fertilizer for crops grown to feed the cows, creating a closed-loop system that ensures financial and environmental security. By operating more sustainably, Dicklands Farm helps prevent the release of approximately 8,000 tons of CO₂ into the atmosphere each year.

Ensuring Long-term Sustainability

Biogas upgrading projects offer significant environmental and business opportunities for farms. However, the key lies in maintaining the operational efficiency of the unit over the long term.

To ensure project sustainability, PRODEVAL provides dedicated customer support to assist operators in managing their units and train Service Partners to provide the same level of service. Through remote monitoring, a 24/7 hotline, a network of maintenance technicians, and a stock of spare parts, we guarantee responsiveness, flexibility, and high-quality interventions for any issues that may arise within a plant. In addition, we can support operators in their development projects through our Retrofit department, carrying out renovations, optimizations, and capacity increases on units from various brands. Finally, we have a dedicated training center for the development of skills in the biogas sector, offering over 50 courses focusing on biogas skills, facility operation, standards, and regulations.

This approach, while supporting the sustainability of projects, also contributes to the creation of more sustainable models of green energy in Canada and around the world.

For more information and biogas projects, read BiogasWorld’s Canadian Biogas Magazine.