Breakthrough Hydrolysis Technology Transforms Animal By-Products Into Green Energy

An innovative Canadian technology targeting global markets has successfully completed commercial scale processing of livestock carcass by-products into fertilizers at the Lethbridge Biogas biorefining plant

This new thermal hydrolysis and fractionation process transforms animal by-products and food waste, including inedible meat and bones, into safe nutrient products for organic fertilizer and biogas production.

“The commercialization of this Biosphere technology creates economic benefits to Canadian livestock producers”

 

This process has been certified by the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) for the processing of Specified Risk Materials (SRM’s), and was adopted by the 178 member countries of the World Organization for Animal Health (OIE). It is approved for the destruction of all infectious microbiological pathogens and TSE agents causing prion diseases such as BSE (Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy) in cattle and CWD (Chronic Wasting Disease) in elk and deer. The process, which is unique in the world, utilizes high pressure and high temperature steam reactors, and provides an environmentally superior alternative to traditional rendering, incineration and landfilling of disease risk materials such as carcasses, while creating economic value from the hydrolyzed nutrient output materials.

The technology, named the “BIOTHYDRO” process, was invented by Dr Erick Schmidt and was developed and privately funded by Biosphere Technologies lnc, involving scientists and engineers in Alberta and Edinburgh over a 20 year period. It has patent protection in over 20 international countries, and is designed to create two valuable streams: one, fractions of amino acids, fatty acids and digestible minerals into organic fertilizers, and two, feedstocks for anaerobic digestors producing methane biogas. These applications will provide the emerging organic agriculture, gardening and medical marijuana sectors with needed alternatives to synthetic chemical fertilizers, and will serve the new regulated industrial demands for renewable natural gas and sustainable “green” energy. Technology rights have been licensed to the Lethbridge Biogas facility, now in operation; the BioRefinex Lacombe biorefinery project, currently in the development phase; and Novigro Sciences, a new joint venture with Wetaskiwin Co-operative for the production of pelleted and liquid organic fertilizer. Negotiations have also commenced with agricultural groups in Europe, USA and China.

The commercialization of this Biosphere technology in Alberta brings both health and environmental benefits to society, and creates economic benefits to Canadian livestock producers, who now pay a costly penalty for disposal of SRM’s. It will also showcase a diversification initiative that will provide international markets a superior environmental solution for reducing global disease risks, water pollution and soil degradation.