Murphy-Brown of Missouri, LLC (MBM) and Roeslein Alternative Energy, LLC announced joint plans to develop a $100 million biogas project in northern Missouri. Murphy-Brown, the livestock subsidiary of Smithfield Foods, Inc., will provide the hog manure for the project. Installation of pumps, pipelines and other processing equipment is set to begin in the spring.
The decomposition of organic matter without the presence of oxygen creates biogas, also called renewable natural gas. To harvest the gas, impermeable synthetic covers will be placed on nutrient treatment lagoons. The raw nutrients of livestock waste will be delivered to the lagoons with barn scraper technology.