Turning turf into power: US researchers explore the potential of grass-based energy production
An anaerobic digester used by the city of Ames' Water Pollution Control Facility. One of two recent feasibility studies by an Iowa State University research team exploring using prairie grass to make biofuels modeled an expanded network of anaerobic digesters in Ames. PHOTO: LISA SCHULTE MOORE/IOWA STATE UNIVERSITY
A team led by Iowa State University's Lisa Schulte Moore has spent six years researching the conversion of harvested grass into renewable natural gas.
“We’re looking at existing markets where there is already a demand, use existing infrastructure to reduce costs of the energy transition and create wins in multiple categories. We want wins for farmers, wins for businesses, wins for municipalities and wins for society,” said Schulte Moore.
The team, funded by federal grants and the Walton Family Foundation, focuses on optimizing anaerobic digesters. Their recent studies modeled the economic feasibility of grass-to-gas production, showing potential benefits for sustainable agriculture.
“To replace natural gas with resources that revitalize sustainable agriculture, we have to be able to quantify how much energy we can produce and show it can be cost-effective and environmentally friendly,” said Mark Mba-Wright, co-author of the studies.
The research, published in BioEnergy Research and Global Change Biology Bioenergy, demonstrates that renewable natural gas can be economically practical and environmentally beneficial, projecting significant profits and lower carbon footprints compared to fossil fuels.