American Biogas Council (ABC) training

Some of our expert operators think we should spend a day and half on hydraulics because as operators, you’re handling hydraulic issues every day. But we’ve condensed the essentials of pumps, mixers, monitoring systems and more into a fraction of that time to raise your knowledge quickly and effectively.

You’ll learn directly from the experts who have experience running a lab to understand how to use lab work to help digester performance and to trouble shoot issues. Plus, we’ll help you learn how to apply the results from the lab tests your order and what it all actually means.

Odor management and prevention starts and ends with good digester operations. We’ll show you which operations in particular most relate to odor issues so you know what to focus on first. This module is often interlaced with story time—anecdotes of what went wrong at some digesters and how those issues could have been prevented or management more effectively. If you’d like to dive into this issue more, the ABC has a day long course called “Odor Management at Anaerobic Digestion Facilities” which is available on-demand, anytime online.

The safety module usually lasts a full day. We’ve offered to past students to try to reduce the time we spend on this important topic, but universally, we’re told, all this time is needed.  We’ll cover H2S dangers, lockout/tagout, operating in confined spaces, rescue procedures, hot work, flammable and explosive properties, hazard communications, process safety and security, MSDSes and more.

In this module, we want to position you to maximize the revenue you can generate from digestate. We’ll cover the mechanics of different liquid/solid separation systems, nutrient recovery technologies and how to get your digestate certified so your customers know they can trust the safety and agronomic value of the digestate they’re receiving.

For anyone handling waste, vectors are a common issue. We’ll cover advice for brids, flies, rodents, varmints, and the control and housekeeping necessary for their prevention.

This module covers what most digester operators need to disclose regularly to stay in compliance.  We’ll also cover the reporting needed to participate in lucrative programs like the federal Renewable Fuel Standard and California’s Low Carbon Fuel Standard.

A new session but certainly timely and important for all operators, no matter if your site is upgrading or not. Lessons learned and a good understanding of the safety issues specific to biogas upgrading are presented. For landfill and digestion system operators.

This February, ABC will be holding our only planned virtual ABC Operator School program this year. Designed to help operators optimize their biogas systems and reduce costly mistakes, students will attend seven afternoon sessions throughout the month, covering 21 PDH hours of training from the industry’s most expert operators. You’ll learn the skills you need to excel on the job as a digester operator, including how to repair, maintain, and troubleshoot biogas system components.