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Page added on December 14, 2015
Poop: The Other Natural Gas
Every day, a facility on the outskirts of Grand Junction, Colorado takes in 8 million gallons of what people have flushed down their toilets and washed down their sinks. The water coming out the other end of the Persigo Wastewater Treatment Plant is cleaner than the Colorado River it flows into. The organic solids strained from that water are now serving a new purpose — producing fuel for city vehicles.
The solids at Persigo have been processed for decades so they can be safely dumped at a landfill. That processing produces methane, which the plant used to just burn off into the air. Yet, using more infrastructure to further refine that methane, they now end up with natural gas that’s chemically identical to what’s drilled from underground.
Grand Junction has been replacing an aging fleet of garbage trucks and city busses with compressed natural gas vehicles, fueled mostly by the human sourced gas from the treatment plant. The city’s wastewater services manager, Dan Tonello, says Grand Junction is the first city in the nation to do that.
“We’re looking at hundreds of thousands of dollars a year being saved by implementing this process,” Tonello said, “and for a utility our size that’s significant money.”
Joanna Underwood is the President of Energy Vision, a non-profit dedicated to expanding the use of this renewable natural gas, or RNG. She applauds the Grand Junction project as a common sense way to both save money and lower greenhouse gas emissions.
“That’s a model for small wastewater treatment plants anywhere in the country,” she said.
She points out there are other sources for RNG beyond human waste. We interviewed Underwood in the ground-floor restaurant of a Denver Hotel and she started walking among the tables, pointing those sources out: the ham and eggs left over on customers’ plates, their unfinished toast and the coffee in their cups. Natural gas can be made from food waste too.
Right now, food scraps from restaurants are being collected along with that from grocery stores and large food manufacturers all over Colorado’s densely populated front range. In a few weeks it will all be heading up to Northern Colorado, where the Heartland Biogas Facility is in its final stages of construction. It basically does the same thing as the Persigo treatment plant does with solid waste, but on a much bigger scale.
“It’s very unique. It’s one of the largest in North America,” said Bob Yost. His company, A1 Organics is partnering with the Heartland facility to coordinate all the food coming in.
Yost said there could soon be 25 to 30 semi loads of food waste making its way to the plant, where it is then mixed together with manure from a local dairy. It turns out the best way to get the most natural gas from waste is to process a balanced diet of both food scraps and animal waste.
After the facility extracts the RNG from the waste, it’s injected into a pipeline along with fossil natural gas, feeding a nationwide delivery system.
Joanna Underwood of Energy Vision, she says if all the organic waste in the country was gathered, current technologies could produce enough natural gas to replace about half of the diesel fuel used in the US transportation sector.
So, not a replacement for the traditional oil and gas industry by a long shot, but Underwood argues practical solutions to climate change have to be assembled piece by piece.
“One thing isn’t gonna do it,” she said. “But for this sector, which in and of itself is big, it’s not a small piece.”
And it’s a piece to which we can each individually contribute–about one cubic foot of natural gas per day.
28 Comments on "Poop: The Other Natural Gas"
ghung on Mon, 14th Dec 2015 8:46 am
EROEI?
Go Speed Racer on Mon, 14th Dec 2015 12:53 pm
Thats a crappy way to produce energy.
PracticalMaina on Mon, 14th Dec 2015 2:54 pm
Think how good the EROEI would be if this was at your house. No waste in the form of transporting, compressing, delivering.
bug on Mon, 14th Dec 2015 2:57 pm
Everything now is about keeping this dieing system going just a little longer.
Anonymous on Mon, 14th Dec 2015 3:44 pm
Hey, didn’t Bartertown run on a similar system? How did that work out for them?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hgq4w4dqKsU
GregT on Mon, 14th Dec 2015 4:08 pm
“Everything now is about keeping this dieing system going just a little longer.”
And the longer that we attempt to keep this system alive that will inevitably die anyways, the more damage we will do to the environment, the farther into overshoot we go, and the bigger our die off will be.
ghung on Mon, 14th Dec 2015 5:09 pm
Yeah, Anonymous, Scrooloos never could figure out how Bartertown was feeding all those pigs.
dubya on Mon, 14th Dec 2015 6:12 pm
PracticalMaina:
it is..
http://puxinbiogas.en.alibaba.com/product/60373057853-220436961/China_biogas_plant_for_10cows_waste_treatment.html
Go Speed Racer on Mon, 14th Dec 2015 7:34 pm
Bartertown had plenty of energy.
makati1 on Mon, 14th Dec 2015 7:45 pm
ghung, pigs will eat anything or … anyone. lol
Practicalmaina on Mon, 14th Dec 2015 7:52 pm
Dubya. This is my point, and you don’t need it to be built in China out of plastic, or a 10 cow farm, I have scene plenty of good YouTube videos of individuals in developing nations building these by hand. I wonder to what extent a residential septic releases greenhouse gases that could be mitigated by a small anaerobic digester. Then apply the gas to a generator and the waste heat to your space heating or potable water use.
Davy on Mon, 14th Dec 2015 8:17 pm
Mad Max is on Sundance as we speak
makati1 on Mon, 14th Dec 2015 9:16 pm
Practical, where are you gonna get the generator from when they are no longer made? Anything you have to get from the store will not be available.
Do you actually know how much gas is produced or collectible? Or are you just parroting some video making exotic claims? Just askin’.
Go Speed Racer on Tue, 15th Dec 2015 3:23 am
This idea about generating electricity is full of $hit.
Go Speed Racer on Tue, 15th Dec 2015 3:24 am
what a load of krap. :O)
Practicalmaina on Tue, 15th Dec 2015 9:03 am
Actually Makati I was just trying to get you going. Low tech is easy, I do not need this for electrical generation, though i think in a post fossil fuel world it will not be very difficult to find a small motor, a good small motor will go almost indefinetly with maintenance, especially if you could refine the gas to be fairly clean, i think it would be better for the motor than current ethanol fuel. If I was to apply this technology at my home it would be primarily for cooking and heating, if fuel was more expensive right now and when I get the room I will be making a Jean Paine mound. You cannot get any simpler than a very useful compost. Throw a greenhouse over your leach-field, there is some more free wasted energy that can be put to use. Your always preaching about people in North America freezing, I can not see this happening in my area, where everyone has a wood stove and is waiting for an ice storm to know power out mid winter for weeks.
Practicalmaina on Tue, 15th Dec 2015 9:11 am
The anti renewable doomer narrative on this website is making me batty, I have been following this website for years and waiting for Makati to be correct in his predictions of doom and gloom. In these years the EROEI on solar has gone way up, as well as slight gains across the board for renewables, LED technology, lithium ion batteries, high efficiency heat pumps, Merkel making Obama look like a drunk hill billy when it comes to all things environmental, aluminum pickups, fossil fuel prices have gone down, and Makati moved to an extremely overpopulated area. Then you have the more advanced technology that we need to begin using, more carbon fiber, figure out how to efficiently make graphene and use it to its full potential, got to love a futuristic material that can be made from coal ashes.
Practicalmaina on Tue, 15th Dec 2015 9:20 am
In the last sentence of my first of those 2 rants makes no sense, its supposed to say waiting for an ice storm that can result in no power for weeks mid winter.
GregT on Tue, 15th Dec 2015 10:12 am
“The anti renewable doomer narrative on this website is making me batty”
By the sounds of it, you were batty to begin with, as well as being in serious denial.
Anything that uses up non-renewable natural resources in it’s manufacture, installation, or utility, is in of itself non-renewable. Such as solar panels, LED technology, lithium ion batteries, high efficiency heat pumps, aluminum pickups, and graphene. Pretending otherwise is disingenuous.
Apneaman on Tue, 15th Dec 2015 10:23 am
Nice bar graph that show the tiny aggregate contribution of renewables. But by all means, keep smoking the hopium pipe green weenies.
Every God-Damned Day
“Brad then quotes Robert Wilson, who I am not familiar with.
… By and large, oil, gas, and coal continue to rule our world.
Robert Wilson puts it vividly: “Fossil fuels continue to dominate new energy infrastructure. Maersk is not unveiling solar powered container ships. Boeing and Airbus appear content with the age of kerosene. Steel makers are sticking with coal. 20 million new cars are added to China’s roads each year. … India plans to double its coal production by 2020. Green Germany just opened a new coal power plant last month.” And on and on.”
http://www.declineoftheempire.com/2015/12/every-god-damned-day.html
Apneaman on Tue, 15th Dec 2015 10:43 am
Practicalmaina, ah yes the great German energiewende and other European, hell all, green savior claims. I don’t think debating matters at this point since I believe we are fucked, but if you want to go…………. I’m your huckleberry, that’s just my game.
US forests under threat as demand for wood-based biofuels grows – report
An increase in US wood pellet exports intended to reduce reliance on fossil fuels may be threatening ecologically important forests across the country, according to a new report from the Natural Resources Defense Council
http://www.theguardian.com/sustainable-business/2015/oct/21/us-forests-under-threat-as-demand-for-wood-based-biofuels-grows-report
Apneaman on Tue, 15th Dec 2015 10:57 am
Germany — decision means the coal industry lives on
“Last week’s decision on the future of the German energy policy by Sigmar Gabriel — the economics minister and Angela Merkel’s number two and would-be successor — was complicated and multifaceted. The net result, however, is simple. The German coal industry will survive and coal will remain a major, and probably the largest, fuel source for power generation for another decade and perhaps longer.
The headlines of the policy are as follows.
The proposed levy on all coal fired power stations is to be completely dropped.
Power stations producing some 2.7 GW of power from brown coal — one of the most carbon intensive of all energy sources — will be closed by 2017.
BUT — some or all of the stations to be closed will be kept as a reserve source of supply for at least four years beyond 2017. As a back up to growing wind and solar supplies, which can be intermittent, the stations will presumably be kept in a state of continuous readiness requiring a full workforce to be maintained.
As an incentive for utilities such as RWE and Vattenfall to maintain these stations’ capacity, payments will be introduced. The shares of the utilities understandably rose on this news. Their position is not totally comfortable because they are ever more dependent on public policy decisions that could change. With many conventional power plants now acting simply as back up to renewables, margins are low and the sector has in effect become a recipient of government welfare. The companies are searching for a new and viable business model and while they conduct that search capacity payments and other forms of interim help are better than nothing.
Nothing in the statements published suggests that the bulk of German coal consumption would be affected in any way for the foreseeable future. Coal provided some 44 per cent of generated electricity last year. The plants being taken off line represent no more than a small percentage of that — according to Carbon Brief, just 13 per cent of current lignite capacity and 6 per cent of total coal capacity. The statement is vague on the prospects of further closures and without the previously proposed levy there is no mechanism to push operators to change what they are doing. Long-term emissions reduction targets are distant prospects.”
more
http://blogs.ft.com/nick-butler/2015/07/06/germany-the-coal-industry-lives-on/
Apneaman on Tue, 15th Dec 2015 11:02 am
Adventures In Flatland — Part III
“Because as much as greens might wish otherwise, it’s not possible for Germany to simply tell power companies not to burn coal, period. Germany must burn coal because the country’s enormous wind and solar sectors are still too feeble and fickle to power the country…
Acknowledging the true situation in Germany, China, India and all the rest might cause Bill McKibben or Naomi Klein to “experience anxiety and cognitive dissonance” (quoting Kahan). And we wouldn’t want to see that sort of thing, would we? It is so much better for one’s psychological health to ignore those aspects of reality which make one feel uncomfortable”
http://www.declineoftheempire.com/2014/11/adventures-in-flatland-part-iii-1.html
Practicalmaina on Tue, 15th Dec 2015 11:41 am
GregT I know I am being in denial about the current world trajectory, but the fact of the matter is that between new school and old school tech there is solutions to make this transition way easier. The fact is that we all waste energy on a massive scale everyday. If people cared enough to pursue the small increases in efficiency and conservation that are all around us we would be way ahead of the game. Apneaman, I understand that there are massive issues in trying to get a huge industrialized nation completely off of coal and nuclear, but when the overall consumption of goods in this world drops significantly, and germany is no longer building millions of luxury suvs every year, they will be in a great position to have a stable economy IMHO, look at Texas, you cant tell me getting paid to consume power during a windy night isnt a game changer. I understand its stress on the grid but they just need more sick fucks like me who would be up all night running the ice maker to give my ac a break during the night. As far as the pellets go, i currently am burning locally produced pellets for heat, it has been a blessing for Maine forestry because Asian paper and email has shut down huge portions of out paper industry. I can also guarantee you that Maine woods can handle it. We have more woods in Maine than 100 years ago do to old farmland being let go. Pellets can be made from by product of things such as saw mills as well.
Practicalmaina on Tue, 15th Dec 2015 12:04 pm
Correction to give my ac a break the following day. After years of reading comments and sitting back I am all worked up now, cant even get my thoughts out. One sustainability issue I worry about in Maine is our aquifers, Poland Spring is one of the largest bottled water companys, its the number one bottled water in the US. They consume massive amounts of water out of our state. The company claims that it only takes a half inch of rain to replenish some odd millions of gallons but I think it was one of Apneaman links that showed how little of rainfall actually becomes ground water. I want to say around 10%?
Also as far as planes and container ships not being solar. Planes are not needed for any reason. As a westerner most of the places I would have wanted to see are no longer viable options, pyramids, Mediterranean no thanks, Ill go to Quebec if I want a slight European feel, without the migrants! And if container ships do play a role in future times I would say slap some solar on those beast, low rpm high torque sounds like an electrical diesel combo would work perfect.
GregT on Tue, 15th Dec 2015 12:09 pm
I mostly agree with you Practical, you appear to have a decent perspective. Just another small point;
“the fact of the matter is that between new school and old school tech there is solutions to make this transition way easier.”
What is it that you believe we are transitioning to?
Apneaman on Tue, 15th Dec 2015 12:19 pm
Practicalmaina, many of the ideas for renewables and efficiency and reduced consumption/lifestyle change seem reasonable. It’s the scale for one and then there is the opposition from the 1% rulers. Another big one seems to be that most people, who although they obviously love their children and want to live, just don’t seem to be willing to change. Not in our nature until crisis in on top of our heads. The biggest of all is that it is too late. We would have needed to start 40 years ago and only in conjunction with population reduction. Were about to hit 7.4 billion souls. You can’t green that.
Practicalmaina on Tue, 15th Dec 2015 1:09 pm
GregT, I suppose the wild west with some newer technology thrown in. I think some event, probably economic tied to fuel constraints will make us take a huge step back in standard of living, then hopefully progress from there. I have high hopes for smaller scale wind, vertical axis turbines, eliminate transmission loses and cut down on fuel requirements to maintain, (instead of driving a 1 ton truck up a mountain, with 4 guys who all drove an hour to work. go get a ladder.) I met a man once who had an excellent VAWT design, i saw it in person and it really functioned well with a minimal breeze. Unfortunately the man who invented this system has passed, and it does not appear any more progress is being made. Now that I am thinking about it I should try to build one.
http://jpssis2.com/summary.html
This and hopefully PV that consumes less raw material starts gaining market penetration.
Apneaman I could not agree more. When you hear Bill Gates pushing Nuclear and high tech biochar making schemes it goes to show that there primary interest is protecting theirs. The one thing I disagree with is the thought that it is to late. It is late but I like to think the games not over. Obama was not the game changer he was supposed to be, massive chemical companies merging scares the crap out of me, but maybe some event will happen, power outage or food shortage that gets people pissed enough to get the government to actually work for the people. If everyone was as informed as you significant changes would start tomorrow.