Black River Renewable Energy recovers methane through Anaerobic Digestion of organic waste materials.  Anaerobic Digestion is a series of processes in which microorganisms break down biodegradable material in the absence of oxygen.  It is a proven technology that has been utilized for decades to manage waste and more recently to generate electricity.  Anaerobic Digestion in its simplest form is an adequate tool to manage waste, but does only a moderate job of producing methane which translates to energy.  Advances in the technology have increases gas production, but they have also increased complexity making the systems more difficult for the waste producer to manage.  This is why Black River proposes to both own and operate the system so that the proper attention can be given allowing these advances in technology to be utilized.

How is our system different?

1. Our systems are total mix meaning the material in the digester is constantly being stirred to aid in the breakdown of solids.  This approach helps to guarantee no large undigested solids are making it through the digester which is sometimes prevalent in the other Plug Flow style digesters
2. Our system will almost always include other waste streams to boost the methane production.  Some materials are better than others and some materials mix better with one over another.  Our experienced staff will create a recipe for you site and will take into account other area sources of waste to determine what and how much waste should be included for maximum methane production.
3. Two stage independently heated system.  Our system will comprise of two tanks and each will be managed independent of the other in terms of temperature and one will feed the other.  By controlling the temperature in each tank separately we are able to increase the creation of gas in the second tank and reduce the overall retention time of traditional digesters by 50%.  This means smaller tanks and quicker management of waste.  The second tank is maintained at a higher temperature, and from a chemistry standpoint it transitions the waste from an Acidogenic phase to a Thermophilic stage instead of slowly moving to the Mesophilic stage which takes 22-25 days to occur when the temperature is not increased.