지난 9월 26일 미국 환경보호국(EPA)가 캘리포니아 Victorville 지역의 ITS 하수처리 시설에 위치한 탄소중립 에너지 프로젝트의 기념비적인 시작으로 교화국에 가입했다. 이 시설은 쓰레기매립지로 보내질 수 톤의 쓰레기를 사용해 에너지를 생산하면서 그리드를 떠나는 것(go off-the-grid)을 목표로 한다.

탄소중립은 플랜트의 동물성 바이오가스 재사용가능 에너지 프로젝트의 결과가 될 것이다. 이 프로젝트는 더욱 효과적으로 오물과 유기성폐기물을 처리하여 100% 재사용가능한 에너지를 생산할 예정이다.

 

 

 

On Friday, Sept. 26, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) joined the Bureau of Reclamation, California Energy Commission and Congressman Col. Paul Cook at the ceremonial start of Victor Valley Wastewater Reclamation Authority's (WRA) carbon-neutral energy project located at ITS wastewater treatment facility in Victorville, Calif. The facility aims to go off-the-grid, creating energy using tons of waste that would otherwise be sent to landfills.

 

Carbon neutrality will be the end result of the plant' Omnivore Biogas Renewable Energy Project. The project will produce 100-percent renewable power by more efficiently treating both sewage and organic waste that would otherwise be disposed of in landfills. Further it will replace 9 million kilowatt hours of electricity annually and prevent more than 1,400 tons of waste from entering landfills. The facility will be 100-percent energy neutral by the start of 2015 and could potentially save taxpayers $9 million over 20 years.

 

WRA, teaming with Anaergia, a clean energy group located in Carlsbad, Calif., retrofitted an out-of-commission anaerobic digester with new and unique technology that boosts its energy development capacity by increasing the amount of organic waste and sludge that can be digested and converted into biogas. The biogas is then turned into electricity to power the plant operations. Several high-energy waste-streams such as fats, oils and grease (FOG), and food processing wastes are being evaluated for potential introduction into the digester.

 

"The Victor Valley plant is a great example of how local governments and companies can produce renewable energy in an innovative way to fight climate change," said John Kemmerer, EPA associate water division director for the Pacific Southwest region. "If the hundreds of the similar wastewater treatment plants in California achieved carbon neutrality, it would save approximately 1.25 billion kilowatt hours of electricity per year, which is equivalent to the electricity used annually by approximately 120,000 homes."

 

The treatment plant was developed through a $2-million grant from the California Energy Commission as well as $600,000 in funding from Anaergia. In 2012, EPA provided technical assistance during project development and coordinated an audit with the U.S. Department of Energy to identify energy generation and efficiency opportunities. The audit was used to leverage funding for the project.

 

[출처 = Water World / 2014년 9월 30일]