To produce Exceptional Quality compost, staff from KB BioEnergy, a biosolids management firm, mixed sawdust with primary and waste activated sludge at the Akron (Ohio) Renewable Energy Facility.In 2009, the sawdust price increased from $3 to $15 per cubic yard. “We used 50,000 to 60,000 cubic yards annually, but compost sales didn’t generate enough revenue to cover the increased cost,” says Annette Berger, vice president of operations. “We needed an economical alternative that dovetailed with upgrading our 25-year-old facility.”A trip to Germany to investigate anaerobic digestion technologies introduced officials to Schmack Biogas, a member of the Viessmann Group in Schwandorf.
