Electricity From Poultry Manure: A Sustainable Alternative to Direct Land Application

In the EU direct land spreading of animal manure is restricted to avoid excessive fertilization of agricultural areas and the resulting eutrophication. Combustion of poultry manure is an interesting alternative and allows to produce sustainable energy. The sustainability of combustion with electricity production and of direct land spreading are compared for the fluidized bed combustion installation of BMC, Moerdijk, the Netherlands.

In a life cycle perspective, it is shown that the production of electricity from poultry manure reduces the total emissions of GHGs, NH3, nitrates, SO2 and NOx to the environment. The reduction of the emissions and resulting decreased environmental impact is partly due to the diversion of poultry manure from land spreading and partly due to the replacement of electricity production from fossil fuel.

The combustion ash is suitable as inorganic soil conditioner and may be considered a means to balance the needs and use of phosphorus between regions.