Nature Energy based in Denmark has developed technology to produce methane from animal waste using biogas generation.  Plants are under construction in North Carolina, Wisconsin, and Quebec.  The company owns and operates fourteen industrial biogas plants worldwide with plans for an additional thirty installations in the E.U. and North America.  On November 28th, Shell Petroleum announced purchase of Nature Energy for a consideration of $2 billion.

Biogas plants can be configured to process animal waste from dairy, hog and poultry operations.  Generation of biogas does however require transport of raw material or be processed on site.  Generation of biogas does, however, eliminate many of the problems currently associated with spreading animal waste on pasture obviating eutrophication of waterways and eliminates the nuisance of odor and contamination of groundwater.