International Biorefineries, LLC will u​se a state-of-the-art thermochemical conversion technology known as “fast pyrolysis" to convert poultry litter —a mixture of manure and bedding material—into a variety of value-added products. The technology is expected to reduce the amount of litter generated at Chesnik Farms by 50 percent.
The process involves placing poultry litter in a high-pressure reactor t hat excludes air. The litter is then rapidly heated under controlled conditions causing it to decompose into several useful products. These include:

• Bio-oil, which can be marketed as an asphalt extender or fuel additive;
  
• Bio-char, a charcoal-like soil additive that absorbs carbon and is used to enhance compost; and
  
• Synthesis gas or syngas, a mixture of carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide, and hydrogen that can be used as a heat source to dry the poultry litter. 
  

The Chesnik family operates eight poultry houses in Wicomico County that produce approximately 1,000 tons of poultry litter a year. The biorefinery will be installed at the family's Elysian Fields farm and is expected to be operational in 2021.​

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