Biogas from wastewater has potential to replace 29% annual diesel consumed in the State
The California Energy Commission has approved two awards that leverage more than $2.3 million in state funding with $3.37 million in private funds. The projects will reduce petroleum use, cut pollution and provide jobs by demonstrating the possibilities of installing a natural gas vehicle refuelling station, and capturing natural gas from wastewater sludge. The awards are funded from the Energy Commission’s Alternative and Renewable Fuel and Vehicle Transportation program. The projects including costs and benefits are described below.
Biomethane facility
The first biomethane award from the Alternative and Renewable Fuel and Vehicle Transportation program will provide USD 1,830,132 to Eurisko Scientific to demonstrate a process that increases the rate of biogas production from municipal wastewater sludge. Project participants will provide additional funding of USD 1,870,824. This patent-pending anaerobic digestion process, developed by the U.S. Department of Energy’s Argonne National Laboratory, will produce high-quality renewable fuel (either liquefied natural gas or compressed natural gas) while reducing greenhouse gas, ammonia and particulate emissions. The project will use an anaerobic digester at the Sacramento Municipal Utility District’s wastewater treatment demonstration site in Elk Grove, California. If adopted by all wastewater treatment plants in California, this process could reportedly displace 870 million gallons – or 29 percent – of all diesel fuel consumed in the state and eliminate more than 7.3 million tons of CO2 each year.
Compressed Natural Gas fueling station
The City of Reedley (in Central California) will receive $480,400 to install a compressed natural gas fueling station as the first phase of the Central Valley Transportation Center. Working with the Kings Canyon Unified School District, Reedley is building a state-of-the-art Leader in Environmental Design (LEED) facility that will house, repair and maintain a fleet of green vehicles. The publicly accessible facility will eventually include compressed natural gas, biodiesel, E-85 dispensers and electric charging stations. Additional funding of approximately $1.5 million will be provided by the project participants. This project is expected to displace a total of more than 1.1 million gallons of petroleum fuel, reduce CO2 emissions by 8,000 pounds each year, and provide more than 300 direct and indirect jobs in the Central Valley.
“California absolutely must invest in low-carbon alternatives to petroleum today if we are to achieve our clean energy and environmental goals,” said Energy Commissioner Anthony Eggert. “The projects the Commission approved today, which add biofuel, electric, and natural gas infrastructure, represent some of the most promising options to improve energy and economic security and reduce greenhouse gas emissions from the transportation sector.”
Assembly Bill 118 (Núñez, Chapter 750, Statutes of 2007) created the California Energy Commission’s Alternative and Renewable Fuel and Vehicle Technology Program. The statute, amended by Assembly Bill 109 (Núñez, Chapter 313, Statutes of 2008), authorizes the Energy Commission to develop and deploy alternative and renewable fuels and advanced transportation technologies to help achieve the state’s climate change policies.
Item primarily compiled using information from a California Energy Commission press release.
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