July 20, 2005—Gas Technology Institute (GTI) says it has successfully demonstrated that chicken litter can be gasified to produce hydrogen and generate electricity using a solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC). Under a project funded by the US Department of Agriculture, Earth Resources, Inc. (prime contractor), GTI and the University of Georgia are working to convert chicken litter into energy and fertilizer.
As part of this USDA-funded project, GTI conducted a test to demonstrate the suitability of chicken litter as a low-Btu fuel for the SOFC.
Litter from poultry farms is traditionally used in land applications as a fertilizer because it is rich in nutrients. But the rise in poultry production combined with the decreasing availability of land and potential deleterious environmental impacts creates concern about traditional litter disposal methods. Gasification has the potential to provide a cost-effective, environmentally benign disposal option for the litter while providing heat, power, fuel (such as hydrogen) and fertilizer, says GTI.
GTI is the leading research, development and training organization serving the natural gas industry. For more information, visit the GTI Web site.
