ARS | Publication request: GREENHOUSE GAS EMISSION REDUCTIONS AND CARBON CREDITS FROM IMPLEMENTATION OF AEROBIC MANURE TREATMENT SYSTEMS IN SWINE FARMS

Submitted to: Proceedings of the Workshop on Agricultural Air Quality: State of the Science
Publication Type: Proceedings
Publication Acceptance Date: February 15, 2006
Publication Date: June 5, 2006
Repository URL: http://hdl.handle.net/10113/19217
Citation: Vanotti, M.B., Szogi, A.A., Vives, C.A. 2006. Greenhouse gas emission reductions and carbon credits from implementation of aerobic manure treatment systems in swine farms. Proceedings of the Workshop on Agricultural Air Quality: State of the Science, June 5-8, 2006, Washington, DC. p. 1178-1185.

Technical Abstract: Trading of carbon and NOx emission reductions is an attractive approach to help producers implement cleaner treatment technologies to replace current anaerobic lagoons. Our objectives were to determine greenhouse gas (GHG) emission reductions from implementation of aerobic technology (Supersoil project) in North Carolina swine farms. Emission reductions were determined using approved methodology in conjunction with monitoring information collected during full-scale demonstration of the new treatment system in a 4,360-head swine operation in North Carolina. Emission sources for the project and baseline manure management system were methane emissions from the decomposition of manure under anaerobic conditions and nitrous oxide emissions during storage and handling of manure in the manure management system. Emission reductions resulted from the difference between total project and baseline emissions. The project activity included an on-farm wastewater treatment system consisting of liquid-solid separation, treatment of the separated liquid using aerobic biological N removal, chemical disinfection, and soluble P removal using lime. The project activity was completed with a centralized facility that used aerobic composting to process the separated solids. Replacement of the lagoon technology with the cleaner aerobic technology reduced GHG emissions 98.9%, from 4,712 Tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalents (CO2-eq) to 50 Tonnes CO2-eq/year. Total net emission reductions by the project activity in the 4,360-head finishing operation were 4,632.8 Tonnes CO2-eq per year. The dollar value from implementation of the Supersoil project in this swine farm was $9,960.54/year. This translates into a direct economic benefit to the producer of $0.91 per finished pig. Thus, GHG emission reductions and credits can help compensate for the higher installation cost of cleaner aerobic technologies and facilitate producer adoption of environmentally superior technologies to replace current anaerobic lagoons in North Carolina.