In 2025, the Drenthe company Stercore expects to have its new installation in Emmen ready, with which 350.000 tons of solid manure can be processed annually into biogas, liquid CO2 and biobased carbon, a fertilizer substitute and soil improver. This is reported by the agricultural site New harvest.
However, the road to building the plant was not without obstacles. The development was delayed by no less than five years, largely caused by an objection procedure by Milieudefensie. The environmental organization had doubts about the nitrogen calculations that formed the basis of the production process and challenged them. This legal dispute was finally settled when the Council of State recently ruled in favor of Stercore, paving the way for the further development of the installation.
The new installation, which is being built on the Getec business park in Emmen, is expected to start construction this autumn. The installation is based on an innovative process of biothermal drying, in which animal manure with a minimum dry matter of 30 percent is processed.
Stercore has developed a plan to reduce the costs of the project. The company offers manure suppliers the opportunity to acquire shares in the installation, allowing them to participate in the profitable and sustainable transformation of their own manure.
According to Stercore, the process will save 350.000 tons of CO2 emissions annually. The biogas produced is upgraded into green gas and directly fed into the natural gas network, which contributes to making the energy supply more sustainable.
After processing, the solid manure can be returned to the agricultural sector, closing the cycle of raw materials. In addition, the factory will produce 30.000 tons of liquid CO2 annually, which is ideal as a growing medium for greenhouse horticulture, further increasing efficiency in this sector.
