What is it all about?

The meat processing plant in the village of Palhalma, Hungary, used to have a problem -- it was so expensive to get rid of manure and slaughterhouse waste that they almost had to close the factory. But an ingenious solution was found.

Now the scraps and manure, along with other leftovers from local farms and kitchens, are used to make green energy. There’s enough to power the factory and heat the offices -- and even some left over, which is sold back to the electricity grid.
Not only have they found a clean, green solution, but the two hundred jobs that would have been lost if the factory closed have been saved.

How does it work?

The factory waste, a renewable resource, is used to create biogas, which can be used to fuel the plant. The electricity is fed directly into the grid, while the heat is used to create hot water used at the plant and other facilities. This saves the factory money, as they no longer have to use natural gas. show all

Biogas is created by fermenting the sanitized waste from the slaughterhouse in a two-part process. Two combined heat and power engines burn the gas, creating electricity and heat.
A byproduct of the process is a nutrient-rich liquid which the factory uses to fertilize fields where feed is grown, reducing its need for chemical fertilizers.
show less