New York City-based Bion Environmental Technologies Inc. on Jan. 16 announced the receipt of a new patent that broadens its Ammonia Recovery System (ARS) claims to include industrial and municipal wastewater streams.
“The timing of this patent couldn’t be better; it underscores the broad applications of our ammonia recovery technology,” said Bill O’Neill, Bion CEO. “We’ve already seen results at Fair Oaks that demonstrate we can configure the ARS for the economics of industrial waste streams. It’s an opportunity that could both jumpstart and shorten our drive to commercialization and give us a stronger platform to launch our sustainable beef initiatives.”
Bion’s ARS was developed to recover the volatile ammonia in livestock waste streams, with a focus on the discharge from an anaerobic digester (AD), where biogas is produced. Bion recently optimized the ARS at its Fair Oaks, Ind., facility for the final design process for full-scale animal waste systems. With this fifth patent, Bion’s IP now covers organic waste streams from industrial and municipal sources as well.
Bion said that according to the American Biogas Council, the US has more than 2,400 AD sites producing biogas, with a development potential for 15,000 new sites. Bion intends to establish strategic partnerships to market the ARS as a stand-alone AD nitrogen control solution in two sectors: Industrial and Municipal Wastewater and Animal Waste.
Bion saidAD is now used at 1,269 water resource recovery facilities in the US, with another 102 stand-alone systems that digest food waste. The Council estimates an additional 8,600 sites with development potential. Germany, by comparison, has almost 10,000 operating AD sites.
In the US, wastewater and AD digestate from industrial and municipal sources is already regulated for ammonia and nitrates, and EPA recently proposed tougher standards for slaughter facilities. Bion believes ARS ammonia treatment costs will be competitive in these markets and that its unique premium fertilizer byproducts will create an advantage, especially with waste streams that are still considered organic, like slaughter and food waste.
Bion said there are 473 animal waste digesters operating in the US, most on dairy operations. The Council and USDA’s AgSTAR program estimate more than 8,000 additional sites with development potential. Bion said ARS was designed specifically for this purpose: control ammonia from livestock waste and produce the highest value byproducts with it.
Bion has already received an OMRI-listing (Organic Material Review Institute) for its initial fertilizer product and is preparing applications for several more.
Digestate from animal waste AD has enjoyed the same reduced regulatory requirements as land applying raw manure. Recent trends in Michigan and California indicate they will treat animal waste digestate as any industrial source, subject to groundwater permitting requirements. Bion believes its proven technology and value-added fertilizers will give it a significant competitive advantage in this evolving market.