A waste-to-energy facility using animal waste could soon be part of an East Ladner dairy farm operation.
Delta council gave preliminary approval this week to an application by Seabreeze Farm Ltd. on 112th Street to build a biogas facility, which includes an anaerobic digester that would process on-farm agricultural material, such as manure, crop waste and silage, as well as off-farm non-agricultural feedstocks, including fats, oils and greases.
The facility would produce renewable energy in the form of biogas that would be sold to FortisBC.
The municipality sent the application last year to the Agricultural Land Commission, which gave its endorsement. Council subsequently gave the application first reading, sending it to an upcoming public hearing to give residents a chance to comment.
A report to council notes odour control would be achieved by storing all non-agricultural material in odour-tight tanks. The material would be pumped directly from the storage tanks to the anaerobic
digester. After processing in the digester, the homogenized material is rendered essentially odourless, according to the report.
The post-digested material, known as digestate, would be separated with the solid portion and used as livestock bedding, while the liquid would be used as fertilizer for crops.
Non-agricultural off-farm feedstock would require five deliveries per week. Solid material would be delivered in dump trucktype haulers, while liquids would be delivered in haulers similar to milk trucks. In a letter of support for Seabreeze Farm
owner Jerry Keulen, Delta Farmers' Institute president David Ryall noted anaerobic digesters are becoming a new reality for farmers.
"This innovative technology is good for the environment as they assist farms by utilizing waste byproducts more efficiently and with less odour. Anaerobic
digesters are already a reality south of the border as these forms of efficiency are far more aligned with "green energy" concepts. As the cost of installation reduces over time more of our farms will move in this direction," he said.
A report from the ALC notes the commission recognizes
that anaerobic digestion is an emerging issue, which if "farmbased" can benefit agricultural businesses. However, neither the ALC nor provincial farm regulations currently permit biogas generators as an outright use on farms, therefore, consideration of such a proposal must be done as a non-farm use application.
During council's discussion on the application this week, Ian Paton, a longtime Ladner farmer, noted that an important provision is that 51 per cent of the waste for the new facility has to be produced on the farm, which should alleviate concerns the facility will be a hub for waste trucked into Delta.
Coun. Scott Hamilton noted Metro Vancouver wants to get involved as far as how much product comes from off farms, but he's worried the regional district "will be sticking their nose where it doesn't belong."
