They’re Converting Cornstalks To Natural Gas

2022 - Volume #46, Issue #3, Page #06

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Producers who raise corn in a 60-mile radius around Nevada, Iowa, can earn extra income by selling cornstalks after harvest to Verbio North America, which converts the stalks into natural gas.
The proprietary technology has been used for about a decade in Germany. The Nevada, Iowa, operation started production in December 2021 in a former DuPont facility. The facility closed in 2017, and with the sale of the facility to Verbio came 100,000 tons of stover ready to turn into natural gas. It will take care of Verbio’s needs until more stover comes in after the 2022 corn harvest. Verbio will need stalks from 40,000 acres in the fall of 2022 for gas production.
Iowa leads the U.S. in corn production, and Verbio is reaching out to producers in the area. Verbio performs all aspects of harvest and transportation; in exchange, the producer is compensated $8 per bale or about $25 per acre of corn production. Verbio’s goal is to sustainably harvest 50 percent of the cornstalks, leaving enough material that soil health is not compromised.
“It’s a new source of revenue,” says Ron DeJongh, president of Verbio. “When stover is left in the field, its natural degradation releases carbon into the atmosphere. We capture the released carbon and convert it into renewable natural gas via Verbio’s anaerobic digestion process.”
The process appeals to no-till operations and farmers that typically grow corn on corn, as the stalks tie up nitrogen in the second year of production. Another bonus is that the remaining product after the anaerobic digestion process - called humus - is marketed to farmers as a soil conditioner.
“We are the first company bringing the process to an industrial scale. We will produce 7 million gallons of natural gas in the first phase and 19 million gallons in 2023,” DeJongh says. “We plan to do this in multiple sites across the Midwest.”
FARM SHOW readers in the central Iowa area who are interested in learning more should contact Verbio at 866-306-4777, ext. 3003 or Nevada.Stover@Verbio.us.

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They’re Converting Cornstalks To Natural Gas Producers who raise corn in a 60-mile radius around Nevada Iowa can earn extra income by selling cornstalks after harvest to Verbio North America which converts the stalks into natural gas The proprietary technology has been used for about a decade in Germany The Nevada Iowa operation started production in December 2021 in a former DuPont facility The facility closed in 2017 and with the sale of the facility to Verbio came 100 000 tons of stover ready to turn into natural gas It will take care of Verbio’s needs until more stover comes in after the 2022 corn harvest Verbio will need stalks from 40 000 acres in the fall of 2022 for gas production Iowa leads the U S in corn production and Verbio is reaching out to producers in the area Verbio performs all aspects of harvest and transportation; in exchange the producer is compensated $8 per bale or about $25 per acre of corn production Verbio’s goal is to sustainably harvest 50 percent of the cornstalks leaving enough material that soil health is not compromised “It’s a new source of revenue ” says Ron DeJongh president of Verbio “When stover is left in the field in the field its natural degradation releases carbon into the atmosphere We capture the released carbon and convert it into renewable natural gas via Verbio’s anaerobic digestion process ” The process appeals to no-till operations and farmers that typically grow corn on corn as the stalks tie up nitrogen in the second year of production Another bonus is that the remaining product after the anaerobic digestion process - called humus - is marketed to farmers as a soil conditioner “We are the first company bringing the process to an industrial scale We will produce 7 million gallons of natural gas in the first phase and 19 million gallons in 2023 ” DeJongh says “We plan to do this in multiple sites across the Midwest ” FARM SHOW readers in the central Iowa area who are interested in learning more should contact Verbio at 866-306-4777 ext 3003 or Nevada Stover@Verbio us

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