Methane Gas Study Examined
By 250 News
Tuesday, January 11, 2011 03:58 AM
Prince George, B.C.- The City of Prince George is going to see if it can land some grant money so it can study how to best create and use methane gas at the Lansdowne Waste Water treatment plant.
Right now, as part of the waste water treatment process, organic solids are removed and treated in anaerobic digesters. As the organic matter breaks down, methane gas is created. The methane is then piped to different areas of the treatment centre to be used in turbines that generate electricity and heat.
How much methane is produced depends on a variety of factors, such as the type of material being digested, but there may be a potential to create more, if the digesters are fed a diet of organic waste materials, such as, supermarket fruit and vegetable waste.
That’s the key to any study. Increasing the production of the gas, or create enough to store, could mean the ability to create additional electricity.
Right now, the turbines vary their output according to the available gas pressure and volume. Not enough pressure or volume and they will ramp down, or go off line. There are times when there is more gas than the turbines can use, so the extra has be to flared and that is a waste.
BC Hydro is willing to fund studies that would lead to increasing production of electricity and has recently indicated it is interested in assisting the City in having the turbines run more frequently to maximize the amount of electricity being generated.
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Posted by: Loki on January 11 2011 3:36 PM
That is why our rates are going up. If money can be made generating electricity this way then let the private sector pay for it. Oh right they are already on the taxpayer dole.