From Poop to Power
Through the Poop to Power Project, Portland is on its way to maximizing the reuse of the methane produced at the treatment plant and turning this waste into a valuable resource. The resulting renewable natural gas (RNG) will be used to replace dirty diesel in commercial vehicles.
Environmental Services aims to create a triple win for the public. Creating renewable fuel from Portland’s poop is projected to eliminate 21,000 tons a year of climate-altering emissions, generate upwards of $3 million a year in revenue for ratepayers, and replace over one million gallons of vehicle fuel with clean renewable natural gas.
Project Progress
Before 2017 – Environmental Services captures 77 percent of biogas from its anaerobic digesters. We turn the waste methane into electricity and heat for use at the City’s wastewater treatment plant in North Portland and sell a portion to a nearby roofing company for its manufacturing process. The rest is flared, meaning released to the environment as carbon dioxide.
2017 – City Council authorized Environmental Services to build the infrastructure to capture and clean almost 100 percent of the plant’s biogas, and to enter into a partnership with NW Natural to distribute the resulting renewable natural gas (RNG). Funneling the RNG into NW Natural’s pipeline allows a wider distribution. To maximize the environmental, community, and revenue benefits, the RNG will be marketed as truck fuel to displace dirty diesel. Some of the RNG also will power City trucks.
2018 – Environmental Services opened a natural gas fueling station at the plant to fuel City trucks. It supplies conventional natural gas now but will switch to renewable natural gas once RNG production begins. The fueling station is delivering immediate clean air benefits by displacing dirty diesel. Climate benefits will be realized when the switch is made to RNG.
2022 – Production is expected to begin in 2022.
What is Biogas?
Biogas is produced in the digesters at the wastewater treatment plant. In the digesters, biogas is released when anaerobic microorganisms breakdown the solids from the wastewater treatment process. Biogas is mostly methane (60 percent) and carbon dioxide with smaller amounts of other gases.
Biogas is collected in the digesters and then sent to a biogas upgrading facility at the treatment plant where it is “refined,” or cleaned. This process removes other gases like hydrogen sulfide, siloxane, and water vapor. The final product can be used as fuel for cars and trucks.
Why Convert Poop to Power?
Harnessing biogas that is produced as a by-product of the wastewater treatment process helps fight climate change and is an important step in creating a low-carbon future. The alternative is to burn the gas through a flare, which means releasing the methane and carbon dioxide into the atmosphere. By turning these gases into renewable energy, we keep these harmful greenhouse gases out of the atmosphere and put them to a beneficial use.
Energy Efficiency
Resource recovery is not just about transforming the waste materials received each day at the plant, but it is also about efficiently using our current resources. Environmental Services has teams dedicated to finding ways to use energy efficiently throughout the treatment process. Their work reduces energy use and saves ratepayers money.
Our Work Continues
The future holds great opportunities to address global challenges. We can find solutions that are equitable, resilient, financially feasible, and improve public and environmental health. Resource recovery does all those things. By finding and recovering all that is valuable in our wastewater, we can shift to a more sustainable future – one where our current needs are met without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.