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Bird's eye view of the Riethof in Eschlikon, showing the biogas plant.

Sustainability

Liquid manure: a valuable source of biogas

Migros supports farms that produce not only milk and meat, but also green energy.

Text
Nina Huber
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Nik Hunger
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What we do

What is biogas?

Biogas is a renewable energy source that can be used to generate electricity, heat, biogas fuel and biogas engine fuel. It is created through the fermentation of biomass such as liquid manure, dung, crop residue, as well as industrial and household waste.

What are the advantages of agricultural biogas?

Methane gas usually escapes into the atmosphere during the storage and spreading of liquid manure. Calculated over a century, the greenhouse gas effect of methane is 27 times that of carbon dioxide. However, if the liquid manure is immediately fed into a biogas plant, the methane produces energy rather than being released into the atmosphere. The liquid manure that is left over after fermentation can be used as an efficient fertiliser.

In addition to my organic milk, the biogas generates additional income for me.

Organic farmer Michael Müller from Eschlikon (canton of Thurgau)

How does Migros support agricultural biogas plants?

Migros supports the reduction of greenhouse gases along its own supply chain. Biogas plants reduce the greenhouse gases that would otherwise be produced during the storage of dung and liquid manure. Migros rewards these reductions and offsets the expenses incurred. The biogas plants are implemented as climate protection projects by the Ökostrom Schweiz cooperative in cooperation with the Myclimate Foundation. Revenue generated in this way flows back to the plant's operators and make an important contribution to the profitability of the plants. The products from the farms end up on Migros shelves.

How is the biogas used?

For example, the biogas plant at Riethof in Eschlikon (canton of Thurgau) is supplied with energy sources by four farms and a combined cheese dairy and pig rearing business. The heat generated by electricity production is not only used to keep the liquid manure in the fermenter at the temperature required for the biological process, but also provides warmth for four residential buildings, a dairy, a chicken coop and a pigsty. In summer, it is used to dry hay. "In addition to my organic milk, the biogas generates additional income for me," says organic farmer Michael Müller from Riethof.

Here’s how it works

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  • Dairy cows in a barn.
    Michael Müller's organic farm has 36 dairy cows. Manure and slurry from his cows are used as the raw materials for a biogas plant. © Nik Hunger
  • Bird's eye view of the Riethof in Eschlikon, showing the biogas plant.
    The biogas plant on the Riethof in Eschlikon (TG) is fed by five farms. © Nik Hunger
  • Farmer Michael Müller uses a telescopic loader to shovel manure into the fixed bed.
    Farmer Michael Müller uses a telescopic loader to shovel manure into the fixed bed. From there, the manure enters the fermenter, where it mixes with slurry and ferments.  © Nik Hunger
  • Michael Müller standing in a room with the underground pipes.
    Slurry is pumped into the biogas plant along underground pipes from five neighbouring farms. © Nik Hunger
  • Michael Müller on the phone in his office, while looking at a screen.
    Michael Müller checks on the monitor whether the biogas plant is running at full capacity. © Nik Hunger
  • Michael Müller measuring the methane content in a fermenter.
    Every two days, farmer Michael Müller measures the methane content in one of his two fermenters. The plant ensures that methane gas isn't released into the atmosphere, but rather produces energy. © Nik Hunger

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