Estudio de Factibilidad para la puesta en marcha de los Digestores Anaerobicos en Establos Lecheros en la Cuenca de Delicias, Chihuahua, Mexico

The energetic value as end product is among several benefits from effective waste management programs at intensive feedlots. It is increasing around the world since organic waste is a source of environmental pollution. The biogas can be obtained from simple to complex scale anaerobic digesters. Currently, there is in Mexico official instruments supporting clean technologies to promote the sustainable developing at regional levels. Based on Kyoto Protocol principles, Mexico has been promoting the emissions bonus to reduce the greenhouse gases such as methane from intensive feedlots. It is understood, that feedlots are a rich source of potential green energy. There are 58 000 milking cows in active production at Delicias, Chihuahua region, it is a potential source of green energy unexplored so far. The economic feasibility study was made based on equipment cost and technology required to install an anaerobic lagoon digester. In addition, the potential incomes from green bonus and the commercial value of electricity production were calculated based on kw/h at feedlots of 200, 300, 400, 500, 1 000, 1 500 and 2 000 milking cows. The results shown that the digester cost ranged from $ 1, 510, 000 to $1,590, 000 to feedlots from 200 to 2000 milking cows, respectively. When profitability was estimated, at least 300 milking cows are needed to obtain reasonable incomes, but it is not to those feedlots with less than 200 milking cows. The biogas production estimated was 1.73 m3 per cow/day, with a potential production of 17,789 metric tons equivalents of CO /year and 1 767 143 kw-h/year to a feedlot of 2000 milking cows. A consideration is that the anaerobic digesters may well contribute to the improvement of the environmental quality at Delicias Chihuahua region taking advantage of the effluent of this process.