Agricultural

Swineline Farm At a glance

After installing a 65-kilowatt Capstone MicroTurbine®, Swineline
Farm in Cullinan, South Africa, transformed methane biogas produced Location
by its commercial pig farm into renewable energy. Reducing costs, Cullinan, South Africa
lowering emissions, and providing power to the 1,000-sow operation,
Commissioned
the Capstone CR65 microturbine allowed the farm to address its
environmental odor issues and reap immense benefits by using the December 2011
biogas to generate onsite renewable power. The Capstone Renewable
Fuel
(CR) microturbine line is designed to operate on the facility’s biogas.
Biogas derived from the treatment
Swineline owner James Jenkinson, an agricultural engineer,
recognized the value of incorporating the Capstone microturbine into of wastewater.
the operation. “The technology is top notch,” Jenkinson said. “I was
Technologies
sold immediately the day I saw how it connects to the grid, how easily
• CR65 Capstone microturbine.
(it connects), and how little maintenance there is on the whole plant.”
In addition to being clean burning and efficient, Capstone • Capstone Dual Mode Controller.
microturbines are known for their reliability since they have only
Results
one moving part and the patented air-bearing technology does not
• System reduces the farm’s electricity use
require lubricants or coolants. The CR65 uses a Dual Mode Controller
to facilitate protection of critical loads. Acting like an automatic by at least 30% annually.
transfer switch, the Dual Mode Controller monitors incoming power • Reduces odor into surrounding community
and directs the Capstone microturbines to switch to stand alone by more than 75%.
operation when the grid fails. Protected loads see less than 10 • Using the Dual Mode Controller, loads
seconds of outage while the microturbines transition from grid-
see less than 10 seconds of outage while
parallel to stand alone operation.
the microturbines transition from grid-
At Swineline, odor control was the most significant environmental
concern. “We are producing roughly 2.2 to 2.5-metric-tons (4,850 to parallel to stand alone operation.
5,500 pounds) of effluent per day,” Jenkinson said. The development • Capstone Renewable microturbine line
of a covered anaerobic lagoon to capture a methane rich biogas uses the site’s biogas to generate onsite
and installation of the Capstone CR65 microturbine provided a new, renewable power.
environmentally friendly approach to the traditional treatment of the
• Provides most economical total cost
farm’s animal waste.
of ownership available in the market.
• The power produced is fed back to the
facility; heating it, pumping water and
running the ventilation system.
• Farm is recognized as industry leader in
South Africa thanks in part to the benefits
of the microturbine system.
 “The piggery is built on a flush toilet system,”
Jenkinson explained. The pigs stand on gridded floors
that collect the waste. “We flush that out with a volume
of water that will then enter into the bioreactor via the
channels.” The nearby bioreactor – or anaerobic digester –
is a covered lagoon near the piggery.

“ The cost of ownership to the farmer

for the operation of the Capstone
solution is best in market.”
— Matthew Hayden, CEO
Acrona South Africa LTD

He continued, “In the bioreactor, with a microbiology

process, the waste will be converted into biogas. We have
a blower extracting the gas from the reactor into the gas
treatment plant. The gas treatment plant basically prepares
the gas as a fuel for the microturbine by taking out the
condensate and also compressing the gas to a pressure
that is acceptable for the turbine to operate.”
“All the power we generate gets fed back into the
piggery,” he added. The Capstone microturbine provides
Swineline an environmentally sound, economical source
of electricity to heat the facility, pump water, and run the
ventilation system.
A digester gas-fueled Capstone CR65 microturbine provides power As one of South Africa’s only 300 commercial pig farms,
to Swineline Farm in South Africa. Swineline continues to be recognized as an industry leader
thanks in part to the numerous benefits of the clean-and-
“In swine farms in South Africa today the normal green Capstone microturbine installation. In addition to a
process for addressing waste and waste management is dramatic reduction in odor and greenhouse gas emissions,
the use of open anaerobic lagoons that emit significant and development of a new power source, the single-unit
amounts of methane-rich biogas heavily laden in hydrogen installation has cut the farm’s use of utility electricity by
sulfides,” explained Matthew Hayden, CEO of Acrona about a third.
South Africa LTD, Capstone’s South African distributor. “Installation of this turbine has reduced my electricity
“The installation and operation of an anaerobic waste usage by a good 30 to 35 percent,” Jenkinson said. “The
treatment plant at a farm like Swineline reduces odor to farm is a very small farm when you are looking at effluent
the surrounding communities by as much as 80 percent,” production. We have only got one turbine installed but by
he added. getting the process more effective it could get to the point
In addition to the foul smell, methane biogas is that I can reduce my electricity usage by even more.”
harmful to the environment since it has a greenhouse gas “By offering these solutions we are offering the South
impact on the atmosphere 21 times that of carbon dioxide. African farmer a sustainable, appropriate technology for
The swine industry widely uses flushing systems to introducing reliable, renewable energy solutions,” Hayden
keep piggeries clean. Each standard pig creates an average added. “The cost of ownership to the farmer for the
of 2.5 to 3 kilograms (6 to 7 pounds) of animal waste operation of the Capstone solution is best in market.
each day. With 1,000 pigs at Jenkinson’s farm, pig waste This makes the solution financially viable.” 
management was a round-the-clock-task.

21211 Nordhoff Street • Chatsworth • CA • 91311 • 866.422.7786 • 818.734.5300 • www.capstoneturbine.com

©2014 Capstone Turbine Corporation. P0314 Case Study CAP427