Atlanta, Georgia-based EnerTech Environmental commissioned its first biosolids-to-renewable energy facility about 50 miles east of Los Angeles, California.
Designed to process over 270,000 wet tons of biosolids (household sewage) per year the Rialto SlurryCarb™ Facility will annually generate over 60,000 tons of renewable fuel, called E-Fuel, for the Southern California area.
E-Fuel produced by the facility is already being used by Southern California cement kilns to offset their coal use and will reduce annual local greenhouse gas emissions by over 80,000 tons.
The facility is a showcase for EnerTech’s patented SlurryCarb™ process.
The process uses heat and pressure to remove water from sewage or other biowastes–such as manure or pulp–and transform them into a carbon dioxide-neutral,
coal-like fuel.
Biosolids (processed sewage sludge) are a
common and easily renewable waste that all communities produce and must
manage. In the United States alone, over 7 million tons of biosolids
are produced each year.
“This facility provides us with a local, sustainable, and
environmentally friendly option for biosolids management,” says Mike
Moore, Manager of Environmental Compliance and Regulatory Affairs for
the Orange County Sanitation District. “Generating energy from
biosolids is a smart solution for both biosolids management and energy
generation. People around the country are taking notice.”
The Rialto SlurryCarb™ Facility is providing a long-term biosolids
recycling plan for five Southern California municipalities. Customers
include Orange County Sanitation District, The County Sanitation
Districts of Los Angeles County, and the cities of Rialto, Riverside,
and San Bernardino. In addition to providing an environmentally
sustainable biosolids management solution for California, the facility
is an important contributor to the California economy-creating over 20
green jobs for the surrounding Rialto area.
“This facility represents a major step in energy independence for
Southern California,” says Ronald O. Loveridge, Mayor of Riverside. “By
converting our biosolids to energy we are reducing our greenhouse gas
emissions and ensuring a better future for our community.”
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