Dicklands Farm: Turning Waste Into Clean Energy

Dicklands Farm: A Dairy Farm That Turns Its Waste Into Clean Energy

By Prodeval

Located in the heart of British Columbia, Dicklands Farm is a family-run dairy farm that has embraced the energy transition. Rather than seeing its organic waste as a hindrance, the farm capitalizes on it by producing biogas. This biogas is converted into RNG using advanced membrane upgrading technology supplied by PRODEVAL, reducing the farm’s carbon footprint while creating a new revenue stream.

With a herd of 300 dairy cows, Dicklands Farm generates a large amount of organic waste. The Dicklands Biogas digester processes 80,000 tonnes of organic waste per year, which is converted into biogas and then purified by the PlanET Stateron unit equipped with PRODEVAL’s VALOPUR 06 technology. The result was a yield of up to 99.8%, guaranteeing that RNG was ready for injection into the gas network.

Commissioned in April 2023, the unit started injecting biogas in its first month. With a biogas flow of 1,100 Nm3/h (680 scfm), it produces 730 Nm3/h (450 scfm) of RNG, enough to meet the annual needs of around 2,000 households. The PRODEVAL technology, equipped with three stages of membranes to separate the CO₂ from the CH₄, is a flexible process that allows RNG quality of up to 99.8% to be achieved, in line with the requirements for injection into gas networks. Designed to operate autonomously, it adapts to gas flow and quality variations, minimizing human intervention.

A Sustainable Solution

After producing RNG, the digestate from the anaerobic digestion process is used to produce 3,500 tonnes of natural fertilizer in granular form, replacing the synthetic fertilizer used locally.

The plant also recycles water from the process, helping optimize natural resource use. As a result of this approach, Dicklands Farm is reducing its carbon footprint, avoiding the emissions of almost 8,000 tonnes of CO2 into the atmosphere each year.

Long-Term Support

In addition to the “Stateron powered by PRODEVAL” units, the result of an alliance between PlanET and PRODEVAL North America, where PlanET provides service and support to the end customer, PRODEVAL offers direct support to its customers throughout the life of their equipment.

With dedicated support, a 24/7 hotline, remote monitoring, a large stock of spare parts and biogas analysis and activated carbon supply services, PRODEVAL does everything possible to ensure optimum performance, both day-to-day and in the long term. By also investing in training, with a specialist centre offering more than 50 courses on plant management and industry standards, the company is helping to develop the skills of the biogas industry.

Dicklands Farm is proving that combining profitability with a commitment to the environment is possible.

By relying on proven technology and tailored support, PRODEVAL is playing an active role in the energy transition of North America’s agricultural sector.

For more information, read our Canadian Biogas Magazine.