Ameresco initiates construction of $140m biogas project in California

Ameresco, a leading cleantech integrator specialising in energy efficiency and renewable energy, has entered a nearly $140 million (€128.9 million) contract to develop and construct an advanced technology biogas cogeneration facility in California in the US.
The project is being developed for the Sacramento Area Sewer District, which is located at the EchoWater Resource Recovery Facility (EchoWater Facility) near Elk Grove.
The on-site renewable energy facility will utilise biogas (methane), a byproduct of the EchoWater Facility’s solids treatment process, to produce renewable electricity and heat for the EchoWater Facility through an integrated 13.4 MW cogeneration plant that will utilise fuel cell and engine technology.
The company said that, by incorporating the fuel cell system, the project will have exceptional efficiency and reduced pollutant emissions, making it a clean, reliable baseload dispatchable resource.
Additionally, the system will allow for the expandability to produce hydrogen in the future.
Construction of the new facility is expected to be completed by July 2026.
“SacSewer is committed to being a leader in environmental stewardship. Through our sustainable efforts in resource recovery, we maximise the reuse of treatment process by-products such as biogas,” said Christoph Dobson, SacSewer’s general manager.
“This project is yet another example of how we’re working every day to fulfill our mission of protecting public health and the environment by collecting, treating and recovering resources from sewage.”
“We are thrilled to partner with SacSewer, supporting their efforts to optimise the use of the biogas that is generated as a byproduct of the sewage treatment process,” said Michael Bakas, executive vice president of Ameresco.
“Capturing and repurposing biogenic methane, that is already in our environment and produced by society, to displace fossil fuel is a powerful example of the circular economy in action, where waste is not discarded, but turned into a valuable asset.
"This voluntary act by SacSewer, backed by a material investment into this advanced renewable energy centre, speaks volumes to their commitment to our environment and their surrounding community.”