Cow manure from West Valley dairy will be turned into natural gas

PHOENIX – A sustainable energy company is setting up operations at a West Valley dairy to convert cow manure into a fuel source.

Avolta broke ground Tuesday at the Butterfield Dairy in Buckeye and expects to start producing renewable natural gas before the end of the year, according to a press release.

The company is also planning a facility at the Milkyway Dairy in Maricopa, which should be producing by early 2022.

Avolta expects to make biogas out of 110,000 tons of manure a year from 50,000 cows at the two sites, according to the release.

Biogas is produced when manure undergoes a digesting process that releases methane, which is then upgraded into pipeline quality gas, according to the release.

The product created at the Arizona dairies will be delivered to the Southwest Gas pipeline.

Nacelle Solutions, a technology and service company specializing in gas conditioning, will run the operations.

“Since our family began farming in 1620, we have continuously improved our operations and processes to remain competitive and be a good steward of the land,” Butterfield Dairy owner Tommy de Jong Sr. said in the release.

“Most recently we designed Butterfield Dairy to be carbon neutral through managing our water to support crops and capture carbon dioxide.”

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