Fuel and medicinal-grade alcohols are produced from commercial and residential organic wastes at a rate of approximately 500 gallons per week. The distillery has the current capacity to receive and store 3 to 5 tons of organic waste. The wastes are introduced to a 5000 gallon fermenter, the resulting alcohol is stored in a 2000 ton tank. By design, all waste products including post-fermentation mash and heat are both accounted for and integral components of the "closed-loop" system. Mash is fed to hogs whose excrement will be used for the production of the methane, while the waste heat will be piped underground to maintain the ambient temperature of the Biosphere.
The fuel for the operation of the distillery is intended to the a mixture of
"unscrubbed" methane (produced on the sites) and natural gas supplied directly to EcoGenics.