Slurry from a single cow in one year can produce a total of 1,000 kilowatt hours of electricity, according to the German Ministry of Agriculture.
The Ministry says that’s enough 1,000 full washes of a washing machine. It has released the stats to coincide with renewable energy day in Germany which takes place this Saturday 26. It also outlines that if one uses the manure of a small herd of cattle (25 cattle), it is possible to power as many as seven average households with a year’s supply of electricity.
In addition, the Ministry stress the not only manure can make an important contribution to climate friendly and sustainable energy supply with numerous other residues having uses.
The contents of a compost bin provides about four kilowatt hours of electricity. Straw bales weighing 330kg will provide enough power for an average household to cook for a year.
The ministry commented: “Electricity from biomass is not only sustainable, but also particularly climate-friendly. Some 1,000 kilowatt hours of electricity from the manure of a cow used avoids about 600 kilograms of greenhouse gases.