Dairy renewable gas facility under way in Darlington

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Illinois-based Amp Americas has started construction on a facility that will turn dairy waste into renewable energy at Darlington Ridge Farms.

The facility will take waste from 4,000 cows and convert around 90,000 gallons of waste into fuel and power, a company spokesperson said. The project, which started Feb. 9, would reduce the carbon impact of 27,000 metric tons of carbon dioxide each year.

When the project is complete, an anaerobic digester will break down the cow droppings into methane, the company said. Anaerobic digestion is a process where bacteria breaks down organic matter like manure, food waste, biosolids and other refuse into biogas with the absence of oxygen. Released methane is captured and compressed into fuel, which will be injected into the Alliant Energy natural gas pipeline.

The project will hire 40 people during its peak phase and provide two permanent full-time jobs when it wraps up in the middle of 2023, company officials said. Amp Americas will operate the facility. Darlington Ridge Farms LLC is managed by Lafayette County Ag Stewardship Alliance founding members Jim and Katie DiGangi.

Amp Americas CEO Grant Zimmerman said dairy-based renewable gas would promote energy independence, combat climate change and provide well-paying jobs for rural communities.

“It is such an exciting opportunity to convert manure into an asset in the form of renewable energy.” Jim DiGangi said in a statement. “We are passionate about collaboration and innovation and are dedicated to continuous improvement to preserve and enhance the quality of life in our community.”

Amp has operations in Minnesota, Indiana and Idaho with similar dairy-to-waste operations. BC Organics, a division of Dynamic Renewables, completed its own digester facility in Greenleaf, Wisconsin, in November.