Untapped U.S. biogas market is ripe for expansionUntapped U.S. biogas market is ripe for expansion

German biogas producer EnviTec exploring U.S. opportunities for anaerobic digestion of poultry manure to make biogas, RNG and LNG.

Industry Release

January 29, 2025

4 Min Read
EnviTec Biogas plant in Güstrow Germany
EnviTec Biogas acquired and retrofitted its Güstrow biogas plant to process chicken manure as its primary feedstock.EnviTec Biogas AG

Germany's largest biogas producer, EnviTec Biogas AG, has been leveraging chicken manure for the production of biogas, renewable natural gas (RNG) and bio-liquified natural gas (LNG) for 23 years. The company announced that it is now actively exploring opportunities in the growing U.S. market for the anaerobic digestion of poultry manure, aligning its expertise with the increasing demand for sustainable waste-to-energy solutions.

Olaf von Lehmden, chief executive officer of EnviTec Biogas AG, knows well the market potential associated with chicken farming and egg production. Von Lehmden, through ventures EiPro and Deutsche Frühstücksei, is responsible for the production of approximately 7.5 million eggs per day.

Recognizing the environmental and economic challenges of managing large-scale poultry operations, he founded EnviTec Biogas to harness the multifaceted benefits of biogas as a sustainable solution for monetizing and mitigating poultry waste. By utilizing residual materials like poultry manure as feedstock for anaerobic digestion plants, the company demonstrates its commitment to innovation and sustainability.

“The market for the profitable utilization of chicken manure in biogas and gas upgrading plants is currently underdeveloped in the U.S.,” according to Timothy Logan, president of EnviTec Biogas Construction. “Chicken manure is already a valuable fertilizer in its unprocessed state, which naturally results in less exploration of treatment via AD [anaerobic digestion]. Coupled with the fact that dairy manure AD plants have developed at a much faster rate due to the higher commodity value and easier digestibility of dairy manure, it’s not surprising that chicken manure AD plants have progressed more slowly.”

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The market potential for chicken manure in the U.S. is so significant that, combined with EnviTec’s extensive expertise in processing this specialized feedstock, several projects are already in the planning stages.

“Available research suggests there are over 30 million tons of broiler and layer manure generated in the U.S. each year. This is an incredible figure that equates to a potential of over 400 million British thermal units per day, which equals the heating demand of approximately 3.7 million homes,” added Stefan Dehne, general manager of EnviTec Biogas Construction.

Based on D3 RIN pricing as of Jan. 3, the market potential of the gas alone in the U.S. approaches $4.5 billion per year, the biogas expert said.

“We’re excited in the U.S. to be buoyed by the EnviTec story in Germany. Indeed, with our innovative integration of ammonia stripping technology, we have the potential to create an additional revenue stream of ammonium sulfate in the U.S. When you stack this value with the gas and the nutrient dense compost from the manure, the economics begin to look particularly profitable,” Logan explained.

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Stefan Dehne, general manager of EnviTec Biogas Construction, an 18-year veteran of the EnviTec cautioned that the chicken manure concept must be well thought out on the front end: “It’s imperative to work with the correct data that are realistic, repeatable and defensible in order to ensure project success. The feedstock mass balance must be fully vetted, and the revenue streams and costs should be secured for as long as practical.”

EnviTec Biogas USA is currently developing several scenarios for potential customers.

One large-scale example of utilizing chicken manure for the production of renewable energy and sustainable green fuels for the transportation sector is Germany’s largest fully integrated bio-LNG liquefaction plant in Güstrow. EnviTec Biogas acquired the Güstrow biogas plant in 2021 and retrofitted the facility to process chicken manure as its primary feedstock.

The plant currently processes over 110,000 tons of chicken litter feedstock annually. The resultant biogas is upgraded via membrane technology to RNG and compressed to LNG at the facility, and the carbon dioxide-rich off- gas from the upgrading plant is further refined and condensed into liquefied carbon dioxide (LCO2). EnviTec is continuing to expand the revenue streams from the plant by incorporating an innovative ammonia scrubbing system to the digestate to create ammonium sulfate as well as reduce the amount of makeup water required for the anaerobic digestion process.

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EnviTec Biogas AG owns and operates 87 plants as part of its own-operate portfolio, with at least 12 of those plants utilizing chicken manure as a feedstock. EnviTec is able to leverage this experience to support the developing chicken manure to anaerobic digestion industry in the U.S.

EnviTec Biogas USA Inc. is an independent subsidiary of EnviTec Biogas AG in Germany. In the U.S., EnviTec has offices and warehouses in Rochester, N.Y., and Watertown, S.D., and is headquartered in Beaverton, Ore. The company covers the entire value chain to produce RNG, heat and power, which includes the planning and construction of anaerobic digestion and biogas upgrading plants as well as their commissioning. If required, the company handles biological and technical services and offers operational management.

EnviTec’s business activities also include the production and marketing of climate-neutral fuels (bio-LNG) for the transport sector as well as food-grade LCO2. The company is represented in 16 countries worldwide with its own companies, sales offices, strategic cooperations and joint ventures.

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