Extracting Energy from Municipal Wastewater Treatment Plants

Municipal wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) that re-position themselves as Resource Recovery Facilities can leverage multiple revenue streams including those from renewable natural gas (RNG), environmental attributes of the RNG, tipping fees, recovered nutrients and fertilizer/soil amendments.

Recently, environmental attributes of the RNG, such as Renewable Identification Numbers (RINs) and Low Carbon Fuel credits have favored the growth of resource recovery centers and RNG fueling. Municipalities with anaerobic digestion (AD) systems are primed to function as resource recovery facilities because they are already producing biogas.

A municipal WWTP is often one of the largest expense items on the city or county’s annual budget. Routine maintenance, expensive plant improvements and operational costs, increase year after year, and the municipality is forced to raise rates for local residents and industrial clients to pay for them. The ability to monetize resources extracted from waste streams can have a positive impact on municipal budgets.

This webinar will outline the basics of a regional resource recovery facility concept and the regulatory drivers behind the recent interest in them. Attendees will better understand if this nationwide trend is applicable to their region, and what steps they can take to evaluate the revenue potential of their asset.

Municipalities without an existing AD system can conduct a wastershed analysis of the region within a 50-mile radius to determine if they can leverage available organic waste streams or high strength wastewater from industries or animal feeding operations to operate as a Resource Recovery Facility.

Learning Outcomes

Explain the concept of a resource recovery facility
Outline the main processes and revenue streams possible
Discuss the overall development process from a feasibility study to design, construction and operation
Outline the overall financial analysis of these facilities
Explain how to evaluate if your community is set up for a resource recovery facility

Credits

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EUCI is accredited by the International Accreditors for Continuing Education and Training (IACET) and offers IACET CEUs for its learning events that comply with the ANSI/IACET Continuing Education and Training Standard. IACET is recognized internationally as a standard development organization and accrediting body that promotes quality of continuing education and training.

EUCI is authorized by IACET to offer 0.2 CEUs for this event.

Requirements for Successful Completion of Program

Participants must be logged on for the entirety of the webinar to be eligible for continuing education credit.

Instructional Methods

A Web-based PowerPoint presentation

Agenda

Overview

Summary of Resource Recovery Facility Concept

What is a resource recovery facility?
What are the processes required? 
What conditions are necessary for a municipal to capitalize on the concept?

Project Process

How do I determine if a resource recovery facility makes sense for my community? 
What are the benefits?
What are the risks?
What steps do I need to take?

Financial Analysis

What are typical construction and operational costs? 
What are the revenue sources? 
What is the potential payback of the facility?
How can I fund this project?

Case Study

Learning Outcome Review and Q&A Session

Instructors

Shashi Menon, CEO, Eco Engineers

Shashi Menon is Chief Executive Officer and partner at Eco Engineers. He leads the firm which provides plant design and review, compliance review, on-site verification and certification and technical feasibility studies in the renewable fuel sector, in addition to software and compliance solutions including the popular RIN Quality Assurance Program that has brought liquidity to US bio-fuel credit markets.

Shashi is a specialist and leader in renewable fuel production compliance. His work has given renewable fuel producers the ability to meet EPA’s Renewable Fuel Standard requirements while providing new sources of revenue for struggling facilities. His knowledge on renewable fuel compliance covers Canada, US, and South America.

Shashi’s background includes evaluating and sourcing commercial real estate acquisition opportunities for Principal Real Estate Investors, the 4th largest real estate advisor in the U.S., with over $44 billion in AUM. He owned a property management company serving greater Chicago area, providing consultation and full-service management to real estate associations and developers. He consulted with Chicago Housing Authority (CHA) for Chicago Area Project and developed strategy, policies, procedures, guidelines, and models for programs in urban public housing as the CHA re-positioned troubled assets and re-vitalized communities.

Shashi holds an MBA in Finance from DePaul University, a BA in Literature and Physics from Illinois Wesleyan University and is a member of Phi Kappa Phi and Delta Mu Delta.

Brad Pleima, PE, Senior Engineer, EcoEngineers

Brad Pleima is a Senior Engineer at EcoEngineers. Brad has nearly 15 years of consulting and design experience working in the water, wastewater, industrial and renewable energy fields. Brad has worked with numerous municipalities and industries on anaerobic digestion and biogas upgrading to renewable natural gas opportunities. He has a civil engineering degree from Iowa State University and is a licensed professional engineer in Iowa, South Dakota, North Dakota, Kansas, Oklahoma, Arkansas, and West Virginia.

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