"We're talking about changing the way we live," Kurtz said at the Oct. 7 gathering. "We don't have an energy crisis, necessarily. We have a fuel crisis."
Schmack is known worldwide for its production of biogas and other bioenergy from waste materials, such as human and animal waste, as well as municipal and factory waste.
Kurtz reasoned these wastes are abundant and has the potential to be made into usable fuel, which could greatly increase the country's fuel supply and decrease the price that consumers pay.
While energy and fuel production is seemingly the most valuable product of the company, it also is capable of producing products that can be used as fertilizer, as well as clean water.
"We're not just talking about biogas production here today. I think we're talking about all of the opportunities out there that exist," said OSU professor Harold Keener, who also acknowledged the educational component of Schmack because it's located on the Ohio State University Wooster campus.
"From my standpoint, it's a real opportunity to move us from nothing to probably being at the forefront or maybe even being at the top of the game in terms of the methane digestion systems in this country," Kurtz said.
With an abundance of researchers already at the OARDC, whatever uses Schmack's byproducts might have is expected to be determined. Several who spoke during the ceremony talked about the positive "mutual relationship" between OSU and Schmack, as well as Wooster.
"When we combine the opportunity to make bio-based energy and bio-based materials, that's a winning combination and one that we need to be looking forward to in the future," said Steven Myers, assistant director of OARDC.
Schmack is a German-based industrial research business with 300 biogas plants either completed or under construction. The closest production plant is in Akron, where human waste is turned into useful energy.
The company has plans to build an operational plant at OARDC within the next few years and to advance construction of other plants in other Ohio cities.
Steve Slack, director of the OARDC, said he expects the work by Schmack to affect not only Wooster, but also the state and, eventually, the nation.
"This is an important issue for us certainly right now. But I think it will have broad implications nationally as we move forward," he said.
Slack said Schmack makes sense academically and for the economy.
"From an academic sense, it makes good sense to me because there are a lot of things we're learning that our departments can take away from this," Slack said. "As we work through the things that are happening in our economy, I think it's going to take all of these different groups working together in a strong partnership for us to remain strong in the future."
Reporter Chris Kick can be reached at 330-287-1635 or e-mail ckick@the-daily-record.com. |
