The document describes plans to implement an anaerobic digestion system at Plant Chicago, a vertical farming operation located in a former meatpacking facility in Chicago. The system would divert over 10,000 tons of organic waste annually from landfills to produce biogas using anaerobic digestion. The biogas would be used in a combined heat and power unit to generate electricity and heat for the building, making it a net zero energy operation. The digestate produced would also be used as fertilizer to replace fossil fuel-based fertilizers. The project aims to promote more sustainable urban agriculture and reduce greenhouse gas emissions in the city.

1. Sustainability in an Urban Environment
through Anaerobic Digestion

2. Introducing EISENMANN
EISENMANN is a leading international
supplier of
general finishing
environmental technology
material handling & conveyor systems
process and high-temperature technology
EISENMANN specializes in...
plant engineering
highly flexible systems integration
market and technology leader for individual
components and entire systems
service provider with a broad service offering
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3. Introducing EISENMANN
EISENMANN offers …
reference installations worldwide
custom and modular solutions
global services
detailed system and process solutions
top quality and reliability
EISENMANN facts & figures …
established in Stuttgart, Germany in 1951
12 locations worldwide
US location Crystal Lake, IL since late 70‘s
Global workforce of approx. 2,800 employees
More than 90 Biogas facilities built to date
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4. Promoting the use of Biogas and Anaerobic Digestion
O 148 Members from the U.S., Germany, Italy, Canada and the UK
O All Industry Sectors Represented
Key Industry Goals:
O Promote biogas markets, technologies and infrastructure
O Achieve policy parity
O Promote as a best practice for environmental stewardship and
greenhouse gas reduction
www.americanbiogascouncil.org 4

5. Market Drivers
Green Waste - Organics Diversion
 Organic wastes make up
>24% of materials sent to landfills
in US
 Eliminating methane emissions
from compostable organics is
equivalent to removing 20%
emissions from US coal fired
power plants
 US Congress is actively debating
new policy to promote Anaerobic
Digestion Project Development
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6. Objectiv
e
Organic waste diversion concept in an urban environment
Case study of implementing an
anaerobic digestion / biogas
system into an urban vertical
farming operation in the Chicago
stock yards.
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7. Plant Chicago is a nonprofit organization by founder John Edel, dedicated to bringing sustainable,
urban agriculture to vacant industrial buildings, while improving health and vitality and creating
green-collar jobs.
 Repurposing 93,500 sq.ft. retired meatpacking facility
into net zero energy vertical farm
 Aquaponics growing system (combining aquaculture
with hydroponics)
 Incubation of sustainable foods businesses offering low
rent, low energy cost
 Licensed shared kitchen rentals
 Creation of 125 jobs in Chicago’s economically
distressed “Back of the Yards” neighborhood
 Diversion of over 10,000 tons of food waste from
landfills
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8. Concept
Closed resource
loop
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9. Principles of Biogas production – Input materials
Organic input substrates supplied from:
 Agriculture
 Food processing facilities
 Restaurant waste
 Yard waste and grass clippings
 Waste management facilites
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10. Biogas Yield
Organic input substrates can vary greatly and result in different gas qualities and quantities.
Substrates have an important influence on plant technology selected for anaerobic digestion
systems.
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Source: AEBIOM Roadmap to Biogas
2010

11. Principles of biogas production
What is Biogas ?
Hydrolysis Acidogenesis Acetogenesis Methanogenesis
Acidification phase Acetic acid formation Methane formation
Composition of Biogas
Component Fraction
Pre-treatment Output Digested
Anaerobic fermentation Methane 40 - 75%
substrate
(in 4 phases)
Carbon dioxide 25 - 55%
Water vapor 0 - 10%
Trace gases 0 - 5%
Substrate input to
Substrate input to
anaerobic
pre-treatment
fermentation
Agricultural
fertilizer
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12. Technology
High solids horizontal fermentation plant
Properties… electrical
energy
High dry matter content in the digester: biowaste cogeneration unit
conditioning
Total solids content ≥ 15% and
separator
above thermal
energy
compost
Distinctive features… main digester pump
Robust, durable plant technology
compost
All substrates can be utilized without the fertilizer
need of slurrying
Fully automated, continuous feed liquid substrates
final storage tank
system
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13. Plant
Rendering
Phase I: 5,000 TPY
Phase II: 10,000 TPY
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14. Utilizing biogas output
Combined heat and power (CHP) unit
Biogas-driven turbine powers generators to produce
electricity and steam for the building
Functions…
Generation of electricity – used for growing lights and
general electrical needs of the building
Generation of heat – heat created from turbine used to
heat the digester, adsorption chillers, building and
industrial processes, etc.
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15. Biogas Plant – Key Data Phase I
Overall Plant Footprint: 80 ft x 170 ft
Input:  5,000 tons per year (13 t/day) of organic waste
Offtake:  2 MMBtu/hr of Biogas
 200 kW electric @ 29% efficiency
 1 ton/day of press-cake for composting
 8 tons/day of liquid soil amendment to replace fossil fuel
based fertilizer
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16. Milestones
July 1st 2010 - Acquisition of building
September 2010 - Begin renovation
October 2010 - First permanent tenant move in (Thrive Artesian Kombucha Teas)
January 2011 - First kitchen/bakery operational
February 2011 - Plant Chicago NFP was founded
December 2011 - Purchase decision for Biogas Plant
April, May 2012 - Finalizing of permitting for Biogas plant construction
June 2012 - Begin construction of Biogas Plant
January 2013 - Biogas plant startup
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17. Why Anaerobic Digestion at the Plant-Chicago
Sustainable Urban Agriculture in Food Desert
Net Zero Energy System
Reduction of Green House Gas emmissions by utilizing
waste streams in onsite Biogas plant
Economic benefit by creating Renewable Energy for a
Microgrid
Use of digestate rather than fossil fuel based fertilizer
Reducing Carbon footprint by eliminating waste collection
truck traffic
The Plant offers free tours every Monday, Tuesday and
Saturday at 2 PM (www.plantchicago.com)
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18. Contact
EISENMANN Corporation
Environmental Technology / Biogas
John C. McDowell
150 E. Dartmoor Drive
Crystal Lake, Illinois 60014
E-mail: john.mcdowell@eisenmann.com
Internet: http://www.eisenmann.us.com/IntBiomass
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