Local Agribusiness Developer Wins National Award

Brian Furrer’s latest renewable energy project, Green Cow Power, has been named agricultural Biogas Project of the Year by the American Biogas Council. The award was presented at the 2015 Biogas Industry Awards Reception on October 20, 2015 in Boston, Massachusetts.

Brian Furrer, developer of Green Cow Power in Goshen, IN and BioTown Ag located in Reynolds, IN, has been at the forefront of agricultural renewable energy projects for the last decade and is committed to finding innovative ways to use existing resources. The Green Cow Power project is a working example of sustainability that is both good for the planet and economically viable. As Brian has stated, “In the real world, sustainability in agriculture must contribute to producer profitability.”

The biogas system at Green Cow Power uses organic waste from five dairies and food waste from the surrounding community to generate more than 3 MW of electricity. Furrer hopes that the success of the Green Cow Power project can be used as a model for renewable energy projects across the Midwest.

Green Cow Power uses anaerobic digester technology developed by DVO, Inc. The digester system collects methane biogas from concrete digester tanks filled with organic waste; the methane is utilized on-site by three 1.05 MW GE Jenbacher engines to create electricity. The digester tanks also produce hot water, digested liquids used for fertilizer, and digested solids used for cow bedding.

The American Biogas Council is a national trade association representing over 200 companies dedicated to maximizing the production and use of biogas from organic waste. BioTown Ag is a 100 percent sustainable, zero-discharge, multigenerational livestock farming operation, featuring a 4.8 million gallon anaerobic digester.