ROANOKE, VA – The Western Virginia Water Authority (Authority) and Roanoke Gas Company (Roanoke Gas) have entered into a cooperative agreement to produce commercial quality renewable natural gas, or RNG, from bio gas produced at the Roanoke Regional Water Pollution Control Plant. This RNG product, the first of its kind in the Commonwealth, will necessitate construction of a digester gas conditioning system and interconnect facility at the Water Pollution Control Plant (WPC Plant). Representatives from the Authority, Roanoke Gas and the community will break ground on this project Tuesday, May 17 at 2 pm at the Roanoke Regional WPC Plant.
Biogas, also known as digester gas in wastewater treatment, a mixture of methane (63%) and carbon dioxide (37%), is produced as a by-product of the anaerobic digestion treatment process as bacteria consume the organic solids that are removed earlier in the wastewater treatment process. Anaerobic digestion is employed at the WPC Plant as it is a much more energy efficient way to treat solids compared to other methods such as aerobic digestion and heat drying. “While this gas has been used as a fuel source at the facility over the years, this exciting next generation of resource recovery of digester gas will utilize a new approach to maximize the benefit to the broader community” according to Michael McEvoy, Executive Director Western Virginia Water Authority.
