California’s Victor Valley Wastewater Reclamation Authority Marks Start-Up of Advanced Biogas Production System from Anaergia

PRESS RELEASE

Burlington, Ontario, September 28, 2014 – The Victor Valley Wastewater Reclamation Authority (VVWRA) held a Ribbon Cutting Ceremony on Friday September 26, 2014, to mark the successful start-up of the operation of its new OmnivoreTM biogas production system, supplied by Anaergia Inc., and funded in part by the California Energy Commission’s (CEC) Public Interest Energy Research (PIER) program.

Municipal wastewater treatment is typically an energy intensive process, and many facilities utilize biogas that is produced as a by-product of treatment to generate energy and offset a portion of their electrical needs.  The electrical generation installation costs can be prohibitive unless biogas production rates are relatively high. Treatment facilities may accept additional waste streams to increase biogas production, such as food waste and fats, oils and grease, but the existing anaerobic digesters which produce the gas often cannot be loaded with this external feedstock, and so this typically requires construction of additional digester capacity.

The start-up of the VVWRA Omnivore project is significant to the CEC and to Anaergia because it demonstrates how wastewater treatment plants can increase digester loading and biogas production using existing infrastructure. The  innovation includes Anaergia’s high solids mixers and recuperative thickener, which change an ordinary digester into a high-solids OmnivoreTM digester. The OmnivoreTM retrofit enables VVWRA to triple the digester’s solids content and biogas production rate. VVWRA will convert the additional biogas into electricity to meet part of the wastewater treatment facility’s electrical demand.

Though Anaergia has provided high solids digestion technologies to meet the needs of customers in Europe, the VVWRA retrofit is the first in North America.

Logan Olds, the General Manager of VVWRA said: “Our goal is to demonstrate that we can operate our existing infrastructure more efficiently.  With recuperative thickening or even with traditional digesters, the ability to co-digest an additional waste stream can bring added value to the facility, whether it be through minimizing tipping fees or by producing power from the additional methane that is generated as a result of the decomposition.”

Andrew Benedek, CEO of Anaergia added: “The residents of Victor Valley now benefit from the unique attributes of our Omnivore system.  This proven solution is something that should please everyone who cares about the environment.”

About Anaergia

Anaergia Inc. is the global technology leader in recovering value from waste for the municipal, industrial, and agriculture sectors worldwide. Through its proven portfolio of proprietary technologies, Anaergia’s integrated solutions create value for its customers in the forms of clean water, renewable energy, and quality fertilizers while dramatically reducing the costs of waste management. Anaergia’s global headquarters are located in Burlington, Ontario, Canada, with regional lead offices in the United States, Germany and China and services through 14 offices globally. Anaergia technologies are in use at hundreds of resource recovery facilities worldwide, reducing greenhouse gas emissions while creating new revenue sources for its clients.

Anaergia is participating in the annual Water Environment Federation Technical Exhibition and Conference (WEFTEC) in New Orleans from September 27 through October 1, 2014.  Anaergia’s industry leading solutions are highlighted at WEFTEC in Booth 6713 and in the Innovation Pavilion at Booth 4029m.

For more information, please visit www.anaergia.com.

SOURCE: Anaergia Inc.