Biogas project in Colorado, US gains pace
A renewable natural gas (RNG) project is rapidly gaining pace in the state of Colorado, US.
In July 2019, environmental contractor CGRS brought in local firm Maverick Steel to begin building the framework for a new 23,000 square-foot biogas treatment and RNG fuelling station facility.
Once complete, the new facility will transform by-products from the wastewater treatment plant into renewable fuel for the city’s rubbish trucks. The city will initially replace 11 of its diesel rubbish trucks with those able to run on RNG, and eventually the entire fleet (20 trucks).
The project is estimated to offset 100,000 gallons of diesel fuel annually, reducing greenhouse gas emissions by around 1,000 metric tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalents every year – equivalent to removing 200 cars from the road.
“This project is a culmination of many months of hard work and planning,” said John Gage, civil engineer and RNG project manager for the city of Longmont. “It’s exciting to see this innovative project take shape.”
The total design and construction cost for the equipment to create RNG for vehicle fuel is $5.2 million (€4.6 million). The total cost for the site work, including the new office and fuelling area, is $3.1 million (€2.7 million). The State of Colorado’s Department of Local Affairs awarded Longmont a $1 million (€891,000) grant for the RNG equipment and a further $385,000 (€343,000) grant was provided by the Regional Air Quality Council for the new trucks.
In July 2019, environmental contractor CGRS brought in local firm Maverick Steel to begin building the framework for a new 23,000 square-foot biogas treatment and RNG fuelling station facility.
Once complete, the new facility will transform by-products from the wastewater treatment plant into renewable fuel for the city’s rubbish trucks. The city will initially replace 11 of its diesel rubbish trucks with those able to run on RNG, and eventually the entire fleet (20 trucks).
The project is estimated to offset 100,000 gallons of diesel fuel annually, reducing greenhouse gas emissions by around 1,000 metric tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalents every year – equivalent to removing 200 cars from the road.
“This project is a culmination of many months of hard work and planning,” said John Gage, civil engineer and RNG project manager for the city of Longmont. “It’s exciting to see this innovative project take shape.”
The total design and construction cost for the equipment to create RNG for vehicle fuel is $5.2 million (€4.6 million). The total cost for the site work, including the new office and fuelling area, is $3.1 million (€2.7 million). The State of Colorado’s Department of Local Affairs awarded Longmont a $1 million (€891,000) grant for the RNG equipment and a further $385,000 (€343,000) grant was provided by the Regional Air Quality Council for the new trucks.
