The college will transport 1,000 pounds of daily food waste to a 75,000-gallon biodigester. The facility will process the waste, producing gas that is then transformed into electrical energy. This electricity will be used to support both the college’s 80-acre organic farm and a nearby dairy farm.

Dickinson College, located in Carlisle, Pennsylvania, intends to harness
cafeteria food waste to fuel operations at two of its affiliated farms, as
reported by The Philadelphia Inquirer.

Daily, the institution will channel 1,000 pounds of its
cafeteria-generated food waste to a 75,000-gallon biodigester, a product of
Belgium’s Biolectric. The biodigester will also process cow dung, grains from
nearby breweries, and additional food waste materials to produce biogas. This
biogas will then be converted into electrical power, serving both the college’s
owned 80-acre organic farm and a dairy farm it operates under a lease
agreement. Surplus electricity generated will be distributed to the local power
network.

Support for this project came in the form of a $300,000 grant from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), allocated for acquiring the biodigester tank and supplementary machinery. With the project’s total expenses reaching $1 million, the remaining funds are to be covered through a frant from the USDA and financial contributions from the college itself.

A spokesperson for the school mentioned that the biodigester, expected to start
functioning by fall 2021, is projected to generate as much as 300,000 kilowatt
hours of energy annually. The institution anticipates this initiative will cut
its carbon emissions by 120 metric tons each year, according to the school’s
statement.

The biodigester was acquired from Martin Energy Group Services, located in Tipton,Missouri, which will also handle the installation of the system.