American Biogas Council reports that Oregon ranks number 33 among U.S. states for methane production potential from biogas sources. Currently Oregon has 53 operational biogas systems. They see the potential for more than 67 new projects to be developed based on the estimated amount of available organic material. Constructing this many projects would generate $201 million in capital investment, and create 1,675 short-term construction jobs, 134 long-term jobs, and numerous industry-supporting jobs. If fully realized, these biogas systems could produce enough electricity to power 13,553 homes (233 million kWh) or enough renewable natural gas to fuel 33.825 vehicles. They would also collectively reduce greenhouse gas emissions by the equivalent of 4.6 trillion tons of carbon dioxide, the same as growing 4.1 million tree seedlings for ten years or the amount 139,803 acres of forest sequester each year.

While Oregon has some dedicated biomass energy crops, most biomass resources are secondary products, such as lumber mill residue, logging slash, and animal manure. Oregon has an opportunity with biomass resources available from recent wildfires woody biomass, spent pulping liquor (byproduct of pulp and paper making process), agricultural field residue, animal manure, food processing residue, landfill gas, municipal solid waste, and wastewater treatment plant digester gas. Oregon has 17 woody biomass power facilities, primarily in the wood-products industry. An additional 21 facilities in Oregon use woody biomass to provide space heat. These include schools and hospitals.

The City of Salem is a pioneer in the biogas energy. The Willow Lake Wastewater Treatment Plant has produced clean, renewable energy from biogas for more than 50 years. The plant is now producing much of the energy it needs to operate, thanks to a new Biogas Cogeneration Facility. The new Cogen facility significantly increases this clean energy output to the point where half of all the power needed to treat Salem’s wastewater is produced at the plant. The biogas facility responds to two key Salem City Council goals, Natural Environment Stewardship and Good Governance.

“By turning waste into energy, we’re powering the plant, saving money, and protecting our environment,” said Salem Mayor Chuck Bennett. “Taking pollutants out of the waste stream helps reduce Salem’s impact on the natural environment – one of our Strategic Plan goals,” said Mayor Bennett. “I’m really excited to see that this facility is up and running.”

This innovative project is one of only 11 similar facilities in Oregon that use biogas, a byproduct of wastewater treatment, to produce renewable energy (YouTube - Cogen Chapter 1). Construction of Salem’s new Cogen Facility was made possible through the support of customers participating in Portland General Electric’s Green Future Program through the Renewable Development Fund, and generous support received from the Energy Trust of Oregon and Oregon Department of Energy.

The new facility is expected to keep about 5,000 metric tons of pollution-causing gases from being released to our atmosphere every year and will save the City more than $300,000 a year in average annual energy costs based on wastewater treatment costs without a functioning Cogen Facility.

Here’s how Salem’s Cogen Facility Works:

• Salem area wastewater is piped to the Willow Lake Wastewater Treatment Facility
• Large material is removed before the wastewater is sent to Aeration Tanks
• Tiny microorganisms help to break down or digest the wastes with the addition of heat
• Carbon Dioxide and Methane biogas are released by the microorganisms.
• Cogen captures these gases and converts them into energy that’s used at Willow Lake.

Salem’s new Cogen Facility has just come online. City staff will be monitoring energy savings and providing updates over the next several months.

Given Oregon’s strong agricultural sector, the potential to increase energy production through development of biogas projects out-performs cap and trade.


--Donna Bleiler

Post Date: 2020-11-14 20:02:22