How Much Does a 15,000-Head Dairy Manure Biogas Project Really Cost?
15,000 cows produce a lot of manure — over 400,000 tonnes a year. Disposal is expensive. But what if that manure could pay for itself?
A real-world project in northern China provides the answer: it not only solves the environmental problem but also generates 22 million kWh of electricity and produces approximately 12,000 tonnes of bedding material annually.
The total system investment is approximately USD 14.7 million, of which the CHP component accounts for USD 2.5 million. Here is the full breakdown.
What Did the Biogas Project Investment Actually Build?
The farm is located in Tangshan, Hebei Province, with a designed herd of 15,000 dairy cows and approximately 400,000 tonnes of manure processed annually.
The USD 2.5 million CHP investment covers two 1.558MW generator sets (3.1MW total), a 2.8MW biogas boiler, and a 2.1MW hot air stove.
The full USD 14.7 million project includes manure collection, solid-liquid separation, anaerobic digestion, gas purification, storage, grid connection, and solids drying — a complete manure-to-power facility.
The project has received government approval and was selected as a site visit case for IBS 2026, a major biomass energy conference in China.
How Much Power and Biogas Does the Plant Produce?
Daily biogas output: approximately 26,500 m³. Annual biogas production: 9.6 million m³ (CHP project full scope).
Annual power generation: 22 million kWh, all fed into the national grid via 10kV connection to the Liuliangcun substation.
Annual cow bedding material: approximately 12,000 tonnes (Phase 1); full project capacity: 37,000 tonnes.
Waste heat from the generators is used for digester heating and solids drying. Dried solids become bedding, and the liquid fraction returns to farmland — waste becomes power, heat, and valuable resources.
How Is the 4,500m³ Double Membrane Gas Holder Configured?
The digester produces gas 24/7, but the output fluctuates with feedstock and temperature. Generators need stable gas flow and pressure to run efficiently.
Think of the gas holder as a pressure regulator: it stores gas when production is high and releases it when production drops, keeping the gas flow and pressure to the generators stable at all times.
This project uses a 4,500 m³ free-standing double membrane gas holder from Qingdao Haiyue. Key specifications:
- Structure: 3/4-sphere free-standing design, secured to a reinforced concrete foundation by steel rails. Positioned separately from the digesters, occupying no tank-top space.
- Membrane system: Three-layer system – corrosion-resistant inner gas membrane, UV-resistant outer spherical membrane, and fully sealed bottom membrane. All made of H₂S-resistant biogas-grade membrane material.
- Control system: Fully automatic blower constant-pressure system with PLC smart control panel. Supports remote online monitoring with real-time feedback on gas volume and pressure.
- Safety: Dual protection – electronic pressure alarms and mechanical pressure relief valves. Explosion-proof blowers are supplied as standard; lightning protection devices are to be installed separately.
- Technical advantages: Lightweight design with no heavy steel structure required. Operating temperature range -30°C to +70°C with excellent wind, snow, and UV resistance. No pistons, guide rails, or counterweights – simple O&M.
What Can You Learn from This Dairy Farm Biogas Project?
- Scale drives output: 15,000 cows generate enough manure to run two 1.5MW generators around the clock.
- Storage is a “pressure regulator”: Without a properly sized holder, generation won’t be stable.
- Look at the whole system: USD 14.7 million sounds like a lot, but power sales, heat recovery, and bedding revenue make the numbers work.
About Qingdao Haiyue – Biogas Holder & Gas Storage Equipment Manufacturer
Established in 2012, Qingdao Haiyue specialises in the R&D, manufacturing, and installation of double membrane gas holders and related environmental equipment. The company holds ISO and CE certifications.
With a product range covering 10 to 10,000 m³ and over 3,000 projects completed worldwide, Haiyue serves clients across Southeast Asia, the Middle East, Africa, and South America.
We provide one-stop services — from custom design and manufacturing to on-site installation guidance and after-sales support — for livestock farms, paper mills, municipal wastewater plants, and industrial anaerobic digestion projects globally.