German RNG firm expands to US

The Guestrow biogas plant. EnviTech Biogas, a German firm, said it is actively exploring opportunities in the growing U.S. market. (Image: EnviTec)

EnviTec Biogas AG, Germany’s largest biogas producer, is making a push into the U.S. market, leveraging its 23 years of expertise in transforming poultry manure into renewable natural gas (RNG), bio-Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG), and other sustainable energy solutions.

With an increasing global demand for renewable energy and waste-to-energy technologies, EnviTec said it is well-positioned to expand its biogas processes to address environmental and economic challenges in the U.S. poultry industry.

The company attributes its success in the biogas industry CEO Olaf von Lehmden. With his deep understanding of the poultry sector—he oversees the production of 7.5 million eggs per day through ventures such as EiPro and Deutsche Frühstücksei—von Lehmden recognized the challenges of managing the large volumes of waste generated by poultry operations. His solution: EnviTec Biogas, a company that transforms poultry waste into valuable biogas, reducing the environmental impact of chicken farming while generating clean energy.

EnviTec’s process involves anaerobic digestion (AD), where poultry manure is broken down in sealed environments to produce biogas. This process not only helps reduce greenhouse gas emissions but also produces valuable by-products, such as RNG and nutrient-rich compost. By tapping into the vast amounts of poultry manure produced globally, EnviTec has created a sustainable and scalable solution for converting agricultural waste into renewable energy.

As the company looks to expand its operations to the U.S., the market potential for poultry waste-to-energy solutions is substantial. According to Timothy Logan, President of EnviTec Biogas Construction, the U.S. market for chicken manure biogas is underdeveloped, even though poultry manure is already a valuable fertilizer. This has led to slower adoption of AD plants in the U.S. compared to dairy manure, which is more easily digestible and more quickly turned into biogas, the company said. However, with over 30 million tons of broiler and layer manure generated annually in the U.S., the opportunity for biogas production is massive. Research suggests this could yield over 400 million British thermal units (mmBtu) per day, which is enough to meet the heating needs of approximately 3.7 million homes.

EnviTec’s expertise in managing poultry manure through anaerobic digestion positions the company to capitalize on this potential. Stefan Dehne, General Manager of EnviTec Biogas Construction, said the U.S. is poised to see significant growth in biogas plants that utilize poultry waste. EnviTec’s efforts to develop several projects in the U.S. market are already underway, with a focus on designing sustainable and profitable systems for local farmers and energy producers. However, Dehne emphasizes that successful implementation requires careful planning and accurate data to ensure financial and operational viability. The company said it is dedicated to developing realistic, repeatable, and defensible project plans, with a strong emphasis on ensuring that both feedstock mass balances and revenue streams are fully vetted before moving forward.

Logan is optimistic about the potential for EnviTec’s advanced technologies to enhance the U.S. market. In particular, the company’s integration of ammonia stripping technology, already successful in Germany, offers the possibility of producing ammonium sulfate—a valuable by-product—while also reducing water usage in the digestion process. This innovation, combined with the production of RNG and nutrient-rich compost from poultry manure, creates an attractive economic model for biogas production in the U.S.

One of EnviTech’s most successful projects is the Güstrow biogas plant, which processes over 110,000 tons of chicken manure annually. In 2021, EnviTec acquired and retrofitted the plant, turning it into Germany’s largest fully integrated bio-LNG liquefaction facility. At Güstrow, biogas is upgraded through advanced membrane technology to RNG and compressed into LNG. The CO2-rich off-gas is also captured and refined into liquefied CO2 (LCO2). By introducing ammonia scrubbing technology, EnviTec is expanding the plant’s revenue streams while also improving the efficiency of the anaerobic digestion process.