"Nova četvorka"

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Bull farm unit "Nova Četvorka"

AWMS project for the methane recovery at PKB Belgrade bull farm unit "Nova Cetvorka":

The objective of this project is to replace the existing open lagoon system for treatment of bull manure in the only one farm unit applying the simplest type recovery system, covered anaerobic digester. GHG emissions reduction from the biggest agricultural company in the vicinity of the capital city is achieved by means of transformation of methane into carbon dioxide through combustion of collected digester’s biogas. The farm unit “Nova Cetvorka” has a yearly production of 2.500 bulls with an average weight of approximately 200 kg and daily manure flow of 50 m3.

The Public company “PKB”, which is located in the Belgrade surroundings, owns 22.000 ha of agricultural land and another 14 farms, up to 5 km away among each other, where more than 15.000 cows, app. 500 kg average weight, and 2.000 pigs, apprx. 50 kg average weight, are grown on annual basis. Manure from these farms is mixed with straw and collected as a solid phase. The solids, 159.000 t per year (with or without litter) are collected and stored in bulks for a long period of time (several months) before any disposal.

The baseline treatment system for farm unit “Nova Cetvorka” consists of barns internal sewage system, mixing tank and one open/anaerobic lagoon which are located in the vicinity of the Dunav riverbank. In the lagoon, manure is partly digested at the ambient temperature by naturally occurring microorganisms, while solid phase settles on the bottom of the storage facility. When the lagoon is full, solids from the bottom are removed and used as fertilizer. Anaerobic digestion process that takes place inside the lagoon leads to the direct release of CH4, N2O and CO2 into the atmosphere.
The project boundary for the baseline and project scenario is restricted only to on – site emissions of the farm unit “Nova Cetvorka”.

Project activity is based on transformation of existing open lagoon into covered anaerobic digester by covering the lagoon with very high durability cover material, implementing a collection system and system for flaring or utilization of generated methane.
Besides the existing legislation in the Republic of Serbia that establishes strict water quality parameters that do not allow manure to be discharged into water bodies, there is no legislation that requires a specific bull manure treatment.

Applied methodology: AMS - III.D – “Methane recovery in agricultural and agro industrial activities”.
GHG offset: It is estimated that the project has a capacity to avoid emissions of around 52.000 tCO2eq for the period 2008-2018.

Sustainability: The following non-GHG related social and environmental benefits have been identified as a result of the project:

* Possibility to expand project to other farms inside the company;
* Protection of the quality of recipient water;
* Ground water protection;
* Elimination of unpleasant odour;
* Improvement of manure management practice in the area.
* Current status

Specific technical information have been collected through questionnaires and site visits and the local site owner agrees on the project implementation.

Estimated investment cost: Around 260.000€ (including lagoon cost, gas handling cost, piping cost, flaring cost, engineering cost and CDM cost).

Local Partners: Public company "PKB" Belgrade.