Blainville, Quebec-based Xebec Adsorption Inc.is using its new technology to purify biogas from a wastewater treatment facility in California. The new biogas purification plant at the Hale Avenue Resource Recovery Facility in Escondido, CA is a joint project of the city, Southern California Gas Co. and Xebec. Xebec has provided the engineering, procurement, construction and management for this US$2.7 million project.
“Using [this] technology, the city of Escondido has the potential to produce enough natural gas to serve 1,200 homes, while reducing greenhouse gas emissions and lowering the overall dependence on fossil fuel derived products,” said Kurt Sorschak, president and CEO of Xebec.
The United States has approximately 16,000 wastewater treatment plant facilities of which 540 have been identified as being large enough to warrant biogas utilization, and only two currently produce renewable gas. Normally, biogas is burned off or “flared” and released into the atmosphere, a process that generates greenhouse gas emissions. This new facility, and others that may follow, could help California meet its Renewable Portfolio Standard goal of 33 per cent of energy being from renewable sources by 2020.
Over the next twelve months, the newly purified gas at the Escondido site will be monitored and tested for potential injection into the natural gas pipeline system.
