MWRD, Anaergia Enter Negotiations for Organic Waste Processing Facility Design

Oct. 7, 2014
The facility will have the capacity to process 300 tons per day of organic fraction of municipal solid waste, plus liquid waste & fats, oils & grease

Anaergia Inc. was selected by the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago (MWRD) to enter into negotiations for the design of an organic waste receiving and processing facility and modification of two anaerobic digesters, and for the long-term supply of organic waste material to the Calumet Water Reclamation Plant (CWRP). The CWRP’s wastewater reclamation operations are among the largest in North America and this project will help MWRD utilize this facility as a resource recovery and energy generation center.

CWRP’s new organic waste receiving and processing facility will have the capacity to process 300 tons per day of organic fraction of municipal solid waste (OFMSW) plus liquid waste and fats, oils and grease. The OFMSW will serve as feedstock to produce additional biogas in CWRP’s anaerobic digesters. The OFMSW will be produced at an existing offsite solid waste facility utilizing Anaergia’s patented Organics Extrusion Press (OREX), a device that separates unsorted municipal waste into wet organic and dry fractions.

Onsite improvements at CWRP will include new capabilities for organic feedstock reception, storage and cleaning as well as digester modifications. Two of CWRP’s existing digesters will be modified to enable dedicated digestion of the external organic feedstock utilizing Anaergia’s proprietary high solid mixing system. By introducing external organic material for digestion, CWRP will more than double its renewable biogas production.

This project will significantly reduce greenhouse gas emissions. A reduction of approximately 99,000 metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalents being released into the environment per year is expected due to the diversion of the organic waste material from landfills, which is equivalent to taking more than approximately 19,000 vehicles off the road. It is also anticipated that the project will result in 20 to 30 construction jobs, 20 professional services jobs, and six to eight permanent jobs.

“The MWRD is moving away from the old idea of viewing sewage as a waste product to be disposed of, and instead seeing opportunities for recovery of resources and production of energy,” said Kathleen Therese Meany, president of the Board of Commissioners. “The Illinois state legislature recently granted the MWRD the authority to actively engage in resource recovery. This is a landmark project for Cook County and the State of Illinois that will act as a catalyst for further job growth in organics recycling and green energy production.”

Source: Anaergia Inc.

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