German and Slovakian researchers are attempting to solve two problems at once, the volatile market for grain waste and the growing demand for biofuel.
Not to long ago beer manufacturers in Europe simply sold their waste to farmers who either fed it to their animals or used it as fertilizer, "but that isn't easy nowadays given reductions in cattle breeding in Europe and stricter regulations on the content of waste allowed on land." This has create an unstable market situation for grain waste according to manufacturers.
Inspired by this situation,Wolfgang Bengel, the technical director at German biomass company BMP Biomasse Projekt, "saw a business opportunity in solving the breweries' headache. He reasoned that the leftover grain could be used to create steam and biogas, which would provide energy for the breweries, cheapening their energy costs as well as their costs of transporting grain to farms."
Bengal has successfully done this for rice and sugar plants in China and Thailand and is now trying to do this for Europe's beer companies.
Not to long ago beer manufacturers in Europe simply sold their waste to farmers who either fed it to their animals or used it as fertilizer, "but that isn't easy nowadays given reductions in cattle breeding in Europe and stricter regulations on the content of waste allowed on land." This has create an unstable market situation for grain waste according to manufacturers.
Inspired by this situation,Wolfgang Bengel, the technical director at German biomass company BMP Biomasse Projekt, "saw a business opportunity in solving the breweries' headache. He reasoned that the leftover grain could be used to create steam and biogas, which would provide energy for the breweries, cheapening their energy costs as well as their costs of transporting grain to farms."
Bengal has successfully done this for rice and sugar plants in China and Thailand and is now trying to do this for Europe's beer companies.
Fri Jul 10 17:06:11 2009