Cooperative manure hubs: from manure to green gas

About this guide

The guidance Cooperative manure hubs brings together the experiences gained during the development of a manure hub with Wijnjewoude Energy NeutralThe guidance document was prepared by Ruud Paap, project manager and green gas expert at New Energy Coalition and director of Green Gas Platform This guide has been made possible in part by a contribution from the Province of Fryslân.

Towards cooperative manure hubs

Anyone wishing to produce green gas from manure needs a biogas plant. However, before such a plant can be built, many steps must be taken. Where will the digester be located? What permits are required? How will the electricity and gas connections be arranged? And perhaps just as important: how do you ensure local support?

In the project with Wijnjewoude Energieneutraal, an approach was sought whereby not only the dairy farmers involved, but also local residents, could benefit from the presence of a digester. The experiences and lessons learned from that process form the basis of this guide. The guide has been drawn up to assist cooperatives and other initiators with the various steps required to develop a manure hub themselves.

Dairy farmers who want to produce green gas jointly can choose from three models: the manure hub, biogas hub and the hybrid hubAt a manure hub, manure from multiple livestock farmers is brought to one central location and fermented there. At a biogas hub, the manure remains on the dairy farm, and the produced biogas is transported to a central location. The hybrid hub combines elements of both models. The manure hub is the central focus of this guide.

What do you learn from the guidance?

The publication provides practical insights for the development of cooperative manure hubs. Among other things, you will read:

• How to investigate feasibility: from the amount of available manure and interest among livestock farmers to location selection and an initial business case.
• What to look out for regarding location and permits: including accessibility, spatial integration, and local support.
• Which energy infrastructure is needed: both sufficient electricity capacity for the installation and options to feed the produced green gas into the gas grid.
• How funding and income are structured: with attention to SDE++, the sale of green gas, Guarantees of Origin and the Carbon Intensity score.
• What role technology and logistics play: for example, regarding the reliability of the installation and the supply and discharge of manure and digestate.
• How to structure the organization: The guidance discusses steward ownership as a possible form of ownership and governance.