GRRO News
Tornado Technology:
Environmental Experts Inspect Manure Drying System
By Darcy Dougherty Maulsby
Farm News (Ft. Dodge, Iowa), Nov. 12, 2004 It's one of those things you don’t see every day--bankers and government officials clad in dress shirts and ties lining up to stick their hands in swine manure.
But here's the catch--there’s no lagoon in site. The manure, which has been dried, is contained in large, white plastic bags set on pallets in a machine shed. The stuff in the bags looks more like coffee grounds or cocoa-colored compost than swine manure. Perhaps the biggest benefit is the one you can’t see--this dried manure has no odor.
"I want people to know there is an alternative for manure management, it does work, and it's simple," said Loran Balvanz, president of Global Resource Recovery Organization (GRRO). Balvanz hosted a tour at the Burt swine farm north of Marshalltown on Oct. 27 to show how his company's Tempest drying technology turns livestock manure into a dry, odor-free fertilizer. The Tempest has been used in a demonstration project at the farm for nearly a year and a half.
Federal and state officials, along with environmental experts from across the country, traveled to Marshalltown and also visited GRRO's Eldora facility to get a first-hand look at this new system.
"I think this technology could offer a viable solution for livestock producers," said Bill Boyd, a USDA official from North Carolina who leads the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) Animal Waste Utilization Team.
"When you see the GRRO Tempest technology working, you get a whole new appreciation for its capabilities," added Robert Monley, general manager of Farm Pilot Project Coordination, Inc., in Tampa, Fla., which evaluates new technologies for nutrient management.
Taming a tornado
GRRO's patented Tempest technology creates "controlled tornadoes" of air within the unit that quickly and efficiently remove moisture to dry products ranging from animal manure to distillers dried grains from ethanol production. The end products, which contain 80 to 85 percent dry matter, are easy to transport and safe to handle. They can also be recycled into value-added products or can be disposed of in a cost-effective, environmentally-friendly manner.
"The technology doesn't use holding ponds or lagoons, since the manure is brought directly to the Tempest for processing," Balvanz said. "The Tempest technology is becoming a precursor for next-generation hog production facilities, because it cuts odor and the dried manure retains 100 percent of its nutrient value, making it an excellent fertilizer."
United Suppliers, an ag supply company based in Eldora, is interested in the potential of the dried manure.
"We're testing the output from the machine to find out whether we can enhance this fertilizer, upgrade it, or use it as a slow-release product," said Cliff Daugherty, United Suppliers' fertilizer division manager. The company will also work with GRRO as part of an evaluation team that will report to NRCS on the feasibility of the new-generation waste management equipment.
Allen Burt and his brother, Darrel, are interested in the dried manure's ability to build their soil's organic matter. "In addition, we view this technology as a solution to the perceived problem of swine odor and odor-related issues," Allen Burt said. "If we can find a solution, I hope farmers and their rural neighbors can reach more common ground."
Dana Holland, a district conservationist with the Marshalltown NRCS office, believes the technology can benefit both farmers and non-farm residents. "This equipment has so much promise, because it can significantly reduce the odors from livestock manure."
Other industries take note
Livestock producers aren’t the only ones interested in the Tempest technology. Ethanol producers have worked with GRRO to run ethanol co-products (including distillers' grain) through the drying equipment. Drying the product means the high-protein feed can be transported more economically.
Oil and gas companies are also discovering the potential offered by the Tempest technology. TecEnergy in Oklahoma is interested in using the equipment to help clean up soil that has been fouled by oil spills and salt water.
The Tempest technology is also making a name for itself overseas. Earlier this year the first D55 Tempest machine was sent to Ireland after a successful trial was conducted in Eldora. GRRO's Irish distributor, Universal Environmental Techniques (UET), LTD, views the technology as a solution for the ever-increasing problem of handling, processing and disposing biosolids.
"This technology will be welcomed throughout Ireland and the United Kingdom," said Dominic O'Reilly, UET president. O'Reilly has signed an exclusive licensing agreement for Ireland and the UK and has committed to purchasing 24 additional units through 2008.
To learn more about GRRO, call 800-800-1812, or log onto www.grrotempest.com.
