CleanBay Renewables will construct and operate a manure-to-energy plant in Somerset County that will generate electricity by processing 80 tons per day of poultry litter as feedstock. The system has the capacity to produce 48 megawatt hours of electricity per day. The plant will use a thermophilic anaerobic digester to convert organic matter into biogas (a mix of methane and carbon dioxide) and simpler chemical compounds in an oxygen-free environment. The system captures and separates nitrogen and phosphorous contained in the byproduct, creating a marketable product that farmers can use to fertilize their crops, comply with Maryland’s Phosphorus Management Tool regulations, and protect local waterways and the Chesapeake Bay from excess nutrients.
The poultry litter feedstock will be supplied by a Somerset County manure broker. CleanBay Renewables has received approval to build the manure-to-energy plant from PJM, the utility grid operator serving the area, and has the support of the Somerset County Economic Development Commission. The $1.4 million Maryland Department of Agriculture grant – provided with support from the Maryland Energy Administration (Strategic Energy Investment Fund) and the Chesapeake and Atlantic Coastal Bays Trust Fund – will supplement $15 million in investments already secured by CleanBay Renewables.