EPA is announcing the release of an interim report—“Evaluation of Combined Heat and Power Technologies for Wastewater Facilities”—which serves as a planning tool for wastewater professionals and provides an examination of commonly used and emerging combined heat and power (CHP) technologies for converting anaerobic digester gas to electrical power and process heat.
The report was developed by Columbus Water Works, under an assistance agreement awarded by EPA in support of its Columbus Biosolids Flow-Through Thermophilic Treatment (CBFT3) National Demonstration Project. It provides detailed technical information about existing technologies for producing heat and power from biogas including: internal combustion engines, gas turbines, microturbines, and fuel cells as well as other beneficial uses for digester gas. The report includes detailed process descriptions and performance and cost data. It also addresses factors such as infrastructure requirements, digester gas treatment, and operational issues. The interim report includes four in-depth facility case studies from across the country that demonstrate successful biogas-to-energy projects.