In the United States (US), the City of Raleigh will become the first city in North Carolina – and one of only a few cities in the nation – to power its bus fleet with renewable natural gas (RNG) created from its own wastewater treatment as it officially inaugurates the Bioenergy Recovery Project.
Every day, 50 million (US) gallons (≈ 189 million litres) of wastewater are treated at the Neuse River Resource Recovery Facility.
Thanks to new technology, renewable natural gas (RNG) is produced during the treatment process, providing enough RNG to power over 70 GoRaleigh buses every day.
The new system features an innovative process called a “thermal hydrolysis process,” which acts as a pressure cooker to help improve the anaerobic digester (AD) performance.
This results in the production of more biogas and reduces the amount of biosolids produced, cutting the City’s biosolids volume in half while producing a high-quality soil conditioner.
This project proves that we don’t have to choose between protecting our planet and operating efficiently. We’re taking something that used to be waste and turning it into clean energy that will fuel our city for years to come, said Whit Wheeler, Director of Raleigh Water.
The Bioenergy Recovery Project is a major step towards Raleigh’s goal to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by 80 percent by 2050.
It is the first municipal wastewater digester that produces RNG in North Carolina, and the City of Raleigh is one of just a few municipal agencies in the United States that is using its RNG to run its own fleet.
It also reflects more than a decade of collaboration between Raleigh Water, GoRaleigh, and the Office of Sustainability, and testament to how long-term collaboration can turn ambitious ideas into real progress.
