ORANGE CITY, Iowa - Construction of a biogas energy project that stalled more than 18 months ago is being revived for a new purpose -- making electricity.

Executives for two companies involved in its rebirth explained their progress to the Sioux County Board of Supervisors.

Don Nelson, chief executive manager for Bison Renewable Energy, the original developer, and Brandon Moffatt, vice president of development for the Toronto office of StormFisher Biogas, said their companies hope to finish building the facility by the end of 2010 and have it in production in early 2011. Work had stopped at slightly more than 40 percent completion.

The plant is about five miles north of Sioux Center, Iowa. The new entity has no name yet, but Sioux Center Biogas has been suggested.

Instead of producing methane from the area's rich supply of manure and food-processing waste to sell to the gas company, the plant will make methane and turn it into electricity, which it will feed into an electrical substation already on the site. Negotiations with the local rural electric cooperative to buy the power are in progress, Moffatt said.

At 90 percent to 95 percent efficiency, the biogas plant would produce 3,000 megawatts of power each year, enough to supply 24,000 homes.

It would also produce 25,000 tons of pelletized fertilizer, which would be sold in retail and turf markets. Moffatt said company officials believe it could be certified organic, creating another market.

Moffatt passed around a glass jar of the pellets from a German plant to let the supervisors decide whether it smells bad. The aroma is mild and, Supervisor Arlyn Kleinwolterink said, "not unpleasant."

Board Chairman Mark Sybesma questioned the odor and traffic the plant itself would generate. Moffatt said the manure and food processors' waste, most of it from meat plants, would be delivered by 50 to 60 trucks a day. Liquid matter would be piped directly into anaerobic digesters and not be exposed to the air. He said the company would add odor abatement technology if the plant is very close to homes.

He said no methane would be stored on the site and if the input mixers were installed outside they would have sound mufflers on them.

The firm is compiling odor calculations for the air quality permit it is seeking from the Iowa Department of Natural Resources.

Nelson said StormFisher is providing capital and technical expertise for the project. Another stakeholder is Cornerstone Biogas Regional Anaerobic Digester, or BRAD, the company formed for the facility near Sioux Center. Bison Energy and Cornerstone have 480 member-shareholders between them. A meeting with investors is set for Oct. 29, Nelson said.

Although both Moffatt and Nelson expressed optimism, neither said the revived project is a done deal.

"The pressure's not off yet, but we do see an end in sight," Nelson said. "We're going to get this thing buttoned down by the end of the year."