print mail AWMS METHANE RECOVERY PROJECT "ZITO VARDAR"

The main project objective is to improve the Animal Waste Management System (AWMS), which is in place on four swine farms owned by Macedonian private company “Zito Vardar” Veles in order to reduce current level of their GHG emission. The project activity will capture and combust digester biogas, produced from the decomposing of swine manure, converting its methane content into CO2 and thereby achieving significant GHG reduction.

The farms manure treatment systems are composed of barns internal sewage systems, mixing tanks and open anaerobic lagoons, usually more then 10. In the lagoons, the collected swine manure is partly digested at the ambient temperature by naturally occurring micro organisms and solid phase settles on the bottom of the lagoons. Currently existing anaerobic lagoons lead to the direct release of CH4, N2O and CO2 into the atmosphere as a result of anaerobic digestion process. Upon filling out of the lagoons, the insufficiently treated waste water is running off by the canals into the river Bregalnica or its tributaries.
Besides the existing legislation in the Republic of Macedonia that establishes strict water quality parameters which do not allow manure to be discharged into water bodies, there is no legislation that requires specific swine manure treatment as it relates to the GHG emission.
All refer that the baseline for this project activity could be defined as the amount of methane that would be emitted to the atmosphere during the crediting project period in the absence of the project activity. Open anaerobic lagoon will be considered as the baseline project scenario.
This project activity bundles following four farms:
  • The farm “Tarinci” is located near settlement Stip. In 2006, the farm had an average total monthly inventory of around 13.800 animals. Currently swine manure is treated thought system which consists of a mixing tank and 12 aerobic lagoons (picture below). Final evacuation of insufficiently treated wastewater through the canal to Bregalnica river has negative impact on the surface and groundwater water quality.
  • The farm “Vineam” is located in the vicinity of the Vinica settlement. In 2006, the farm had an average total monthly inventory of around 7,500 animals. Currently generated swine manure is treated through the system which consists of two mixing tanks and 12 anaerobic lagoons (picture below). That swine manure treatment practice and locations of lagoons has negative influence especially during winter season, on the surface water quality of the Poklenska river which is tributary of the river Bregalnica.
  • The farm “Sveti Nikola” is located in the vicinity of the Sveti Nikole settlement. In 2006, the farm had an average total monthly inventory of around 7,950 animals. Swine manure is treated through the system that consists of 12 cement barn mixing tanks, which dimensions are 18x10x3 meter (picture below). Further evacuation of manure upon filling out of mixing tanks is performed by separate canals directly to the river Bregalnica.
  • The farm “Zito Males” is located in the vicinity of the Berovo settlement. In 2006, the farm had an average total monthly inventory of around 7,150 animals. Swine manure is treated in two aerobic lagoons. Further evacuation is performed by separate canal to the tributary of the Bregalnica river.
The technology to be employed by the project activity includes installation of new covered lagoons on the four farms creating negative pressure anaerobic digesters with sufficient capacity and hydraulic retention time to greatly reduce the volatile solids loading in the effluent. The system will include an efficient enclosed flare to combust the digester biogas.

Applied methodology

AMS-III.D. - "Methane recovery in agriculture and agro industrial activities".

GHG offset

It is estimated that the project has a capacity to avoid GHG emission of around 22,000 tCO2eq per year, or for the project period of 10 years project could generate GHG reduction of around 220,000 tCO2eq.

Sustainability

The following non-GHG related social and environmental benefits have been identified as a result of the project:
  • Improvement of the Bregalnica river basin water quality;
  • Improvement of ground water protection within Bregalnica river basin;
  • Improvement of the soil quality protection;
  • Improvement air quality by elimination of unpleasant odour in the vicinity of farms
    facilities;
  • Introducing of the advanced Animal Waste Management Systems in the county;
  • Creating possibilities for spreading of good practise.

Current status

Project concept phase.

Estimated investment cost

Around 750,000 € (including lagoon cost, gas handling cost, piping cost, flaring cost, engineering cost, CDM cost and unforeseen risk).

Local Partners

Private company "Zito Vardar" Veles.