From Cows to Kilowatts: Black & Veatch Awarded EPC Project to Convert Dairy Farm Manure into Renewable Natural Gas

Engineering and construction leader to design-build system to curb dairy farm greenhouse gas emissions while simultaneously creating a new revenue stream based on sustainable fuel.

OVERLAND PARK, Kan.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Although dairy is a dietary staple in many American households, it can be hard on the environment due to the amount of greenhouse gases (GHG) produced from dairy farms. To address this, Black & Veatch has partnered with Amp Americas to develop an engineering, procurement and construction project that turns cow manure into renewable natural gas (RNG).

According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, methane is a powerful GHG, one that is 25 times more potent than carbon dioxide at trapping heat in the atmosphere, contributing directly to climate change. The International Energy Agency estimates that annual global methane emissions are around 570 million tonnes. Full-scale decarbonization will require innovative solutions to curb or reuse emissions current industrial processes — agriculture included.

“We chose Black & Veatch as our EPC partner for the Lafayette County facility because their experience in developing decarbonization solutions for industrial facilities aligns perfectly with our sustainable vision,” said Martin Gilkes, chief operating officer at Amp Americas. “Their expertise directly supports our efforts to harvest energy from waste materials, accelerating the global transition to renewable fuels.”

Amp Americas develops, owns and operates on-farm dairy RNG projects that produce carbon-negative RNG and prevent GHG emissions. Black & Veatch will leverage its extensive engineering, procurement and construction management expertise to design and build a new on-site facility in Lafayette County, Wisconsin for Amp Americas that will use anaerobic digestion to convert manure into RNG, which can then be marketed as a carbon-negative fuel to large fleet customers.

“As the nation continues to work toward its 2050 decarbonization target, curbing GHG emissions from waste materials and creating new sources of low- and zero-carbon renewable fuels will be absolutely imperative,” said Doug Miller, vice president and managing director of fuels for Black & Veatch. “We are excited to be part of the team for this project, and to design and supply innovative solutions that will support Amp Americas as they pursue their goals. We look forward to our partnership together as additional waste-to-RNG facilities are developed.”

Editor’s Notes:

• Learn more about Black & Veatch’s engineering services
• Learn more about Amp Americas

About Black & Veatch

Black & Veatch is an employee-owned global engineering, procurement, consulting and construction company with a more than 100-year track record of innovation in sustainable infrastructure. Since 1915, we have helped our clients improve the lives of people around the world by addressing the resilience and reliability of our most important infrastructure assets. Our revenues in 2020 exceeded US$3.0 billion. Follow us on www.bv.com and on social media.