LOS ANGELES, Feb. 9, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Southern
California Gas Co. (SoCalGas) today announced a pilot hydrothermal
wastewater processing project has been selected by the U.S. Energy
Department (DOE) to receive up to $1.2
million in federal funding. SoCalGas is part of a consortium
conducting the pilot, which will be required to share the cost at a
minimum of 50 percent in order to receive federal funds. The
consortium is being led by the Water Environment & Reuse
Foundation.
The project will use hydrothermal processing technology to
convert wastewater solids into renewable natural gas as well as
liquid fuels. DOE funding is expected to pay for about half of the
design and planning of a pilot plant to produce these renewable
fuels at a municipal wastewater treatment facility near
Oakland, California. SoCalGas will
help oversee the project's design and assist in obtaining state and
federal regulatory approvals and incentives.
The new technology converts waste solids from a wastewater
treatment plant into biocrude and methane gas using water, heat and
pressure. The biocrude oil replaces fossil oil, providing green
fuels with nearly zero net new carbon emissions. The methane gas
can be used in the same ways as fossil natural gas.
"SoCalGas and its partners have demonstrated that this process
can very effectively convert wastewater solids into renewable
natural gas, using existing infrastructure, to help replace fossil
fuels and reduce greenhouse gas emissions," said Jeff Reed, SoCalGas' director of business
strategy and advanced technology. "This new technology could have
an enormous impact on energy and waste. Converting the wastewater
solids produced by treatment plants in the U.S. with hydrothermal
processing could produce about 128 billion cubic feet of natural
gas per year and save treatment utilities $2.2 billion in solids disposal costs. A city of
one million people could produce more than 600 million cubic feet
of natural gas per year, save more than $7
million per year in disposal costs, and power nearly 7,000
vehicles per day."
The Central Contra Costa Sanitary District, near Oakland, California, will host the pilot
system. The consortium includes the Water Environment & Reuse
Foundation, which represents many of the 16,000 wastewater systems
in the U.S. The consortium also includes Genifuel Corp. with
technology from DOE's Pacific Northwest National Laboratory,
Merrick & Co., Tesoro Corp., Metro Vancouver, MicroBio
Engineering, Brown and Caldwell, and over a dozen utility
partners.
About Southern California Gas Co: Southern California Gas
Co. (SoCalGas) has been delivering clean, safe and reliable natural
gas to its customers for more than 145 years. It is the nation's
largest natural gas distribution utility, providing service to 21.6
million consumers connected through 5.9 million meters in more than
500 communities. The company's service territory encompasses
approximately 20,000 square miles throughout central and
Southern California, from
Visalia to the Mexican border.
SoCalGas is a regulated subsidiary of Sempra Energy (NYSE: SRE), a
Fortune 500 energy services holding company based in San Diego.
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SOURCE Southern California Gas Company