Grant funding will assist renewable energy projects across the west central Minnesota

ST. PAUL -- Two area projects involving anaerobic digesters are receiving funding held from the Minnesota Department of Agriculture. The department is awarding $2.4 million statewide for renewable energy projects.

A proposed project by Renville Renewable Energy, LLC, Olivia, will receive $220,000 to develop an anaerobic digester adjacent to the Rembrandt poultry facility in Renville.

The project proposes to enhance the digestion process by using multiple waste streams, both agricultural processing and production wastes, collected from the Renville area. The company will also research the feasibility of recovering liquid and solid crop nutrients from the byproduct streams.

A $137,000 grant will assist Jer-Lindy Farms, Brooten. An anaerobic digestion system has been operating on this dairy farm since 2008. The grant will help fund new equipment that will enable more types of organic materials to be digested, resulting in a boost in gas production. It will also make possible better quality post-digester solids that are used for cattle bedding.