Hurst Boiler has commissioned their third poultry litter-fueled boiler, which is the first to be installed in the United States.

“While we have been carefully evaluating the potential to use litter in our boilers in the U.S. market, one of our solid fuel boilers in Guatemala began running almost 3 years ago on 100% litter simply because it was the most cost effective and reliable fuel. Since then, two more systems have been installed and are providing steam to poultry facilities using only chicken litter,” said Tommy Hurst of Hurst Boiler, Inc.

According to Charlie Coffee, Solid Fuel Boiler Sales for Hurst Boiler, “We are well aware of the many challenges and problems of litter as a fuel, which is why we spent an inordinate amount of time and resources making sure that we had measures in place to ensure success in the U.S. market.”

Litter is significantly different from other biomass fuels. In the past, there were problems using poultry litters in boilers designed for biomass. To mitigate the challenges associated with using this type of fuel, Hurst boiler strategically considered each aspect of the process – from the way litter arrives at the facility and the material handling (fuel receiving) equipment, through the way in which emissions are treated. The result is Hurst’s new poultry litter-fueled biomass boiler system that successfully overcomes the challenges to deliver an energy efficient and environmentally sustainable solution.

Prestage AgEnergy of Clinton, NC is completing a 1600 HP Hurst boiler installation. From fuel receiving through emissions, the 1600 HP is the first Hurst Boiler system in the U.S. designed and engineered specifically to be fueled by poultry litter. This cogeneration facility is scheduled to be commissioned mid-year and will support Prestage Farm’s turkey operations.