The TAMIE ABBEY recycles the biogas from its cheese dairy

In 1990’s, the abbey stocked the whey at 12km from its site to sell it to a recycling channel, and it clarified white water on site and spreaded the sludge in the soil. The trade effluent became costly after a decrease in the whey purchase money and an increase in the transport cost.

In 2002, a survey was conducted in association with the Institut Technique Français du Fromage, and the abbey built a methanization plant in 2003 as a result, to process 1,000m3 whey and 2,000m3 white water a year.

The process is done in a combined area:

-    The trade effluents (white water and whey) are collected in a 24m2 settling tank to acidify them
-    A USB reactor (Upflow Anaerobic Sludge Blanket) eliminates the solid residues converted in granules by carrying out an aeroflotation
-    A methanisor favours the germ destruction without the oxygen from organic materials and produces biogas with 60% methan for the boiler of the abbey (60kw). It runs between 15 and17h a day and produces hot, healthy water to supply 60 to 80 persons.
-    The liquid is reoxygenated when coming out, making it biodegradable before it goes back to the settling tank and is disposed of in the soil ; COD is measured.
Three cheese dairies from Doubs and Jura have already implemented the device, as it has been a success in the abbey.