$100,000 biogas scrubbing feasibility study approved in Canadian City

The council of Chilliwack, a city in British Columbia, Canada, has approved a major study to look for alternatives to flaring biogas from it wastewater treatment plant, according to The Chilliwack Progress.

At present, three anaerobic digesters at the wastewater plant emit a substantial amount of biogas – including major greenhouse gases carbon dioxide and methane. The Chilliwack Progress reports that the plant’s biogas output is set to increase in the future, with a planned high-strength wastewater pretreatment facility set to be built at the site as part of a new Molson Coors brewery.

The newly commissioned, $100,000 (€67,707) study will assess the economic viability of converting the biogas to biomethane by ‘compressing and scrubbing it’, opening up the possibility of selling the gas and reducing the city’s environmental footprint. The Federation of Canadian Municipalities is providing the grant money for the research.

On 7 November, Chilliwack’s council passed a recommendation to accept the proposal for the provision of engineering services for the Biogas Feasibility Study from Associated Engineering to the amount of $100,000.

The Chilliwack Progress reports that the study will cover:

• Determination of existing and projected Biogas production through the existing digesters

• Determination of projected Biogas production through the addition of organic waste from the municipal solid waste stream (excluding yard waste), fats, oils and grease (FOG) from the restaurant industry, and through the new brewery waste pre-treatment facility

• Evaluation of potential biogas uses including the generation of electricity, and upgrade of biogas to bio-methane

• Focus on reduction in GHG emissions to determine the overall environmental benefit from converting biogas into bio-methane or electricity instead of flaring into the atmosphere