ICM/PBS personnel provided design, fabrication, technical development, start-up and training services for the implementation of the anaerobic Bio-Methanation system at the Heartland Grain Fuels Ethanol Plant in Aberdeen , SD.   The turnkey Bio-Methanator plant is a skid–mounted unit designed and built by ICM-Phoenix for Heartland Grain Fuels, which is a 7 MM GPY plant. The Bio-Methanator is integral with overall plant design for water re-use and discharge to the city of Aberdeen .

     The ICM/PBS Bio-Methanator system consists of a single upflow expanded-bed, 17,000-gal bio-reactor, capable of removing up to 2,000 pounds per day of COD (Chemical Oxygen Demand) from evaporator condensate. The bio-reactor is located out-of-doors, while all control and sampling units are skid-mounted and located inside the plant's process building.  The single-level control skid was designed to fit into an existing process building.

     The entire anaerobic system was pre-fabricated at the ICM shop in Colwich and shipped to the site in Aberdeen for installation, which required less than one week. The bio-reactor is pre-molded FRP including all internals.

     The unit was installed and started up in November 2002. Start-up and personnel training were completed in ten days and the plant was turned over to operating personnel shortly thereafter. The Bio-Methanator has operated successfully since start-up averaging over 90% COD reduction in a evaporator condensate, and consistently produces effluent waters suitable for re-use in the plant cook system, or discharge to the city.

     Daily operating costs are extremely low, requiring only one to two hours per day of operator and lab time along with small amounts of nutrient chemicals and less than 20 operating horsepower.