Clean Methane Systems upgrades California biogas systems

To meet more stringent emission regulations, Orange County (California) Sanitation District (OCSD ) is upgrading two biogas conditioning systems at its Fountain Valley and Huntington Beach, California, locations. Clean Methane Systems (CMS), Tualatin, Oregon, was selected as the supplier. 

 

CMS provided four larger vessels and was able to reuse one of the original vessels. The upgraded system will allow the 1.4 billion cubic feet of digester gas produced each year to meet the county’s strict air quality standards. The gas produced at the two locations will be enough to power eight engines with a total capacity of 23.5 megawatts. 

 

The CMS system incorporates three carbon-based media to filter the biogas. Media are stacked in each vessel with gas flowing into one vessel then onto the others. Based on this system, the average flow rate, as well as the makeup of the biogas, OCSD should only have to change out the media four times a year, according to CMS. 

 

The initial project, which was built in 1994, cost OCSD $25 million. According to CMS, the project will save OCSD $3.5 million per year and has a 7.2 year payback period without incentives.

 

More information about CMS is available at www.methanesys.com.