Since the 1970s, an increasing number of wastewater plants have been generating on-site energy fueled by the biogas collected from secondary treatment operations. Large facilities have installed multimegawatt gas-to-energy power plants that use on-site generation for pumps, fans, and other process equipment. And thermal energy recovered from a generator’s engine (or a heater directly fired by the waste gas) often provides heat to the anaerobic digesters for more effective operation and production of methane.
Maintaining an uninterruptible wastewater treatment process results in relatively constant loads that are a perfect match for the continuous-running Ingersoll Rand microturbine. Most onsite gas-to-energy systems are sized to consume all the digester gas produced. Single or multiple microturbines can be configured to match any capacity from as little as 70 kW up to several megawatts. And because the Ingersoll Rand microturbine is designed for continuous operation, it can supply uninterrupted power to selected loads even during a utility outage.
Wastewater treatment plants are frequently under scrutiny from community groups and local regulators to eliminate methane emissions and noxious odors. An Ingersoll Rand microturbine gas-to-energy system helps treatment facilities gain community acceptance by accomplishing those emissions objectives while simultaneously producing economical electric power and useful thermal energy. The total energy savings can be impressive, and the environmental benefits are practical for plant operators and their neighbors.