An excerpt from WPPI Energy‘s fall newsletter, discussing the new Richland Center digester. The full pdf of the newsletter can be found here.
This fall, a local business partnership between Foremost Farms USA and Schreiber
Foods—two major dairy processors in Richland Center—developed the Richland
Center Renewable Energy, LLC (RCRE) digester. RCRE will generate up to 1.7
megawatts of renewable energy. Construction on RCRE began in late 2011 and the
project is expected to be completed and online by the end of 2012. WPPI Energy
will purchase the power, using it to serve the 51 locally owned, not-for-profit member
utilities of WPPI Energy.
The digester will treat industrial wastewater from Foremost Farms and Schreiber
Foods with an anaerobic and aerobic process to produce energy. Anaerobic digestion
produces biogas—a mixture of methane, carbon dioxide, and other trace gases—which
is generated from the treatment process and converted to electricity.
RCRE will address the current industrial and future energy needs of the Richland Center community by providing a long-term
economical waste management solution. RCRE will efficiently handle the wastewater streams from Foremost Farms and Schreiber
Foods, significantly reducing land-applications of liquid waste streams on agricultural fields, thus reducing potential runoff and
discharge of nutrients into local waterways. Additionally, the digester will produce a clean source of local renewable energy.
WPPI Energy’s membership is making smart energy decisions to meet the energy demands of the future for local
communities and customers.