PooPower:Methane
Tuesday17thSeptember2013:AspartoftheNRMASustainabilityinTransportCompetitionstudentsfromGresfordPrimarySchoolhavedevelopedanideatousecowdungfromcattletrucksanddairiestoproducebiogas(methane)foruseinthelivestocktruckingindustry.
“GresfordteachersandScientist-in-residence,DrLesleyWright,spentmanySciencelessonsinintroducingtheyear5and6studentstoconceptssuchassustainability,pollution,alternateenergysourcesandbiofuels,”MrsPaulineMitchell,Principalsaid.
Studentswereaskedtothinkofthemainproblemsinvolvingtransportintheirarea,whichisrural,isolated,andpredominantlyinvolvedinbeefanddairyfarming.
“Costoffuelinruralareasfortrucks,tractors,bikesandcarswasvotedasthemajorproblem”DrWrightsaid.
Onestudentwhosefatherrunsacattletruckingbusinessthencameupwithanidea.
“Dadwashesdownhistrucksathomeafterdeliveries,sowhycan’tweusethecowpoo/waterslurryforsomethingotherthanjustmakingamess?”
Gresfordstudentshavenowdesignedabioreactorinwhichcowdungwashingsfromtrucksordairyfloorsisfermentedbyanaerobicbacteriatoproducemethaneforuseasabiofuel.
Thebasictechnologyisrelativelysimpleandinexpensive,havingbeenusedparticularlyinAsiancountriesformanyyears,andcouldbeadaptedforusebystocktruckingcompaniesanddairiesthroughoutruralAustraliatosaveonfuelcosts.
Inaddition,compostedweeds,e.g.theLantanaandGiantParramattaGrassfoundinourarea,couldbeaddedtothemix.
Methaneproductionisrenewable,sustainable,andsavestheenvironmentfromodoursandgreenhousegasemissionsfromanimalwastes,aswellasleavingresidualsolidsforuseasfertiliser.
BiogasfromanimalwastescouldbeafuelofthefutureinruralAustralia.Itcansavemoneyandtheenvironment.It’sawinwin.