HDR Awarded Contract for Heartland Biogas Anaerobic Digester

HDR Constructors Inc., Kansas City, Mo., has been awarded a contract with Heartland Biogas LLC, to design, construct and start a 20-megawatt-equivalent anaerobic digester (AD) facility that is capable of producing renewable natural gas in Weld County, Colo.

HDR Constructors Inc. is a wholly-owned subsidiary of HDR Inc., Omaha, Neb. The company’s engineering design and construction services include subcontracting, procurement and startup operations. The Heartland Biogas project was developed by AgEnergy USA, Hampton, N.H. EDF Renewable Energy, the owner of the project, participated in late stage development activities.

The organic wastes or feedstock include cow manure from local dairy operations and other organic wastes or substrate from the Denver metropolitan area such as restaurant grease trap waste, spoiled products from retail grocers and food processing residuals. The company says that the waste conversion process will preclude the release of pollutants to the environment and will reduce the emission of significant amounts of greenhouse gas to the atmosphere. The digester facility will produce three outputs, including a renewable natural gas, organic compost amendment and liquid soil amendment products.

The Heartland digester facility is expected to be fully operational in 2015 and capable of exporting 1.5 billion cubic feet (BCF) of renewable natural gas per year, making it one of the largest anaerobic digester facilities in North America. Construction started in August 2013.

HDR also designed the Gills Onions Advanced Energy Recovery System facility in Oxnard, Calif., which produces renewable fuel from onion waste. The project won the American Council of Engineering Companies' (ACEC’s) highest award, the Grand Conceptor.