Grant Meikle of Open Energy admits his first attempt at developing a manure- to- electricity project did not turn
out exactly as he planned, but he is not ready to throw in the towel on the technology. The technology to capture biogas from hog manure, imported to North America from Luxembourg by BioGem Power Systems, creates a pathogen-free dry compost as one by-product. It has been used as organic manure or dairy barn bedding. The Iron Creek Hutterite Colony was the first to apply the BioGem Power Systems anaerobic digester technology in North America, but low power rates and internal water supply issues made the project difficult to justify after three years in operation. These vessels are now used for manure storage. Also, BioGem Systems was wound down as a company, as lower energy prices and the slow pace of government support for green power made it hard to build a strong business case to move forward with the venture. However, Meikle and his Open Energy partners now feel re-energized given the current state of public interest  and a number of groundbreaking recent government initiatives that they believe are rekindling growth potential in such alternative energy projects as manure conversion to biogas.