Quantitative BioSciences (QBI) is partnering with alternative fuel systems manufacturer Quantum Fuel Systems to purchase 10 of Quantum’s new 10-foot Virtual Pipeline trailers for use in a dairy biogas project.
QBI, with funding from the California Energy Commission, teamed up with Fiscalini Cheese Company, a family owned and operated business in Modesto CA, to develop a biofuels production facility that will purify and compress biomethane from anaerobic digesters into vehicle fuel, Quantum said.
Adding to the project’s environmental benefits, simple raceway algae ponds will be used to clean the farm’s wastewater, consume the carbon dioxide from the biogas and grow renewable algae biomass to supplement the feed for the farm’s cows. The goal of the project is to make 450 DGEs (diesel gallon equivalents) of compressed natural gas (CNG) per day and demonstrate that algae can help a farm extract the maximum value from its waste by converting it to fuel and feed.
“We are going to be producing enough fuel for 10 to 20 trucks per day, and we were looking for a way to get this fuel to a local CNG fleet via a virtual pipeline,” said Natalie Cookson, CEO of QBI.
“Quantum’s trailers provided the perfect solution.
“As California faces increasing strains on both our finite energy resources and limited water supplies, we are hoping to demonstrate ways in which a farm can maximize its resources and become increasingly self-sufficient. Our forward-thinking partners at Fiscalini Cheese Company are very excited to serve as the demonstration site for this “farm of the future” concept.”
Quantum’s 10-foot modular container has a gaseous capacity of approximately 83,635 standard cubic feet (SCF) and weighs less than 9,000 pounds empty, and less than 12,500 pounds fully loaded. It is equipped with six or eight Type 4 CNG tanks and can be towed by a ¾-ton pickup truck.
The VPLite6/8 is available now in the United States, Quantum said, and will be certified for use in Canada soon, with worldwide availability to follow.
“We are excited to provide a way for captured biomethane to be easily stored and transported,” said Mark Arold, president of Quantum Fuel Systems. “There is an abundance of dairy waste producing biomethane on farms all over the country. As more farms realize the benefits of capturing and selling this gas as fuel, our trailers will help bring more renewable natural gas (RNG) to market.”
