Belleville Net Zero Initiative: Codigestion and Energy Generation Feasibility Study

The City of Belleville will conduct a feasibility study to evaluate the best anaerobic digestion approach for the production of renewable natural gas (RNG) and the treatment of biosolids and source separated organics (SSO) at the existing municipal Water Pollution Control Plant (WPCP). The objective of the study is to achieve net zero energy performance and enhanced organic waste recovery. The City of Belleville's WPCP already has an anaerobic sludge digestion process incorporated into the overall system, which is not operating at full capacity. The feasibility study will examine the practicability of receiving more sludge and organic waste from surrounding areas and upgrading the existing digester technology to boost the rate and volume of methane gas production. The study will also explore energy recovery options for the treatment and use of the methane, including whether the methane could be converted to RNG and sold to a local gas utility, or used by the facility to produce electricity. The potential environmental benefits associated with this feasibility study include reducing waste to the landfill, eliminating the flaring of flaring of low-grade biogas, and offsetting commercial natural gas with renewable natural gas which would reduce the plant's annual GHG emissions by 1,038 tonnes of CO2. Currently, Belleville is flaring the biogas from its anaerobic sludge digestion process, and hauling its sludge for land application. The aim of the project is also to improve the quality of biosolids produced at the end of treatment process to Class A fertilizer, which would replace imported fertilizer. The feasibility study supports the greenhouse gas and energy reduction targets set out in the City’s Conservation and Demand Management plan, as well as furthering the Waste Free Ontario act. It also coincides with a number of strategic planning processes including the Belleville’s Wet Weather and Wastewater Servicing Master Plan, and the 10-year capital plan update for the WPCP. (Project description from original funding application)