The 18-county region offers a significant opportunity for biomass and biogas projects — making primary methane gas from decomposing biological waste. Dairy, beef, poultry, and swine livestock operations all yield the potential for producing biogas. Dairy manure in Minnesota offers the highest potential for manure digestion because of the ratio of liquids to solids. Farmers can provide a valuable source of renewable energy and improve relations with neighbors and the community.

The region's first and significant biomass project is being built in Benson by two partners, Fibrominn LLC and the City of Benson. The plant will generate 55 MW of electricity from around 700,000 tons per year of turkey litter in combination with agricultural biomass. Fibrowatt LLC, a U.S. developer, builder, owner and operator of electric power plants that are fueled by biomass, set up Fibrominn LLC.

The rural areas of southwest Minnesota benefit from using waste products and producing farm-based energy. The Minnesota Project's Final Report can be viewed at http://www.mnproject.org/programs/energy sub/farmedenergy.htm.

Haubenschild Farms Anaerobic Digester offers significant lessons learned for this re-emerging industry. The lessons learned are: demonstrated benefits, reliable operation, payback of 5 years or less on investment is possible, electric utility cooperation is important, utilities can profit from sale of this "green power", there are many non-market benefits, a good time to install a digester is when changing or expanding operations, good management is crucial, good digester design is key, barriers to financing digester systems, and cooperative agency participation helped the success of the project.

The regional economic benefits could be significant. Biogas:

• Stimulates the region's economy through new investments
• Creates new business opportunities and good-paying jobs
• Expands retail trade
• Broadens the local tax base that helps fund roads, schools, and health care facilities
• Provides a commodity-enhanced product
• Reduces electrical, natural gas, and heating costs
• Provides a revenue stream.

Environmental benefits include:

• Reduces odors
• Enhances fertilizer value of the digested manure
• Local source of renewable energy
• Part of a solution that addresses global warming.

All of the critical success factors are here to build a thriving biomass industry:

• Natural resources
• Value-added agricultural industries
• Intellectual and local capital
• Bankers experienced in biomass financing
• Education and training for manure digester production and maintenance
• Non-profit support
• Strong local political leadership and support
• Media support
• Environmental support.

To help you find the resources you need to be a part of this growing industry, please see the Resource Directory page. We are fortunate to have a wealth of business- support resources in our region and state.

Please find additional information for learning more about the biomass and biogas industry at the following trade association and resource web sites:

U.S. Department of Energy:
http://www.eere.energy.gov/afdc

Minnesota Department of Commerce:
http://www.state.mn.us

Minnesota Project:
http://www.mnproject.org

Agricultural Utilization Research Institute (AURI):
http://www.auri.org

Agricultural Marketing Resource Center:
http://www.agmrc.org/agmrc

Clean Energy Resource Team, Southwest Region:
www.cleanenergyresourceteams.org

Minnesota Biomass Exchange:  (a site for people looking to buy or sell biomass in Minnesota)

www.mnbiomassexchange.org