DMT Clear Gas Solutions, a global biogas and landfill gas upgrading solutions provider will install the first biogas upgrading system using high selective membranes in Hawaii. Gas utility, Hawaii Gas has selected DMT Clear Gas Solutions as their technology provider to build the biogas upgrading plant at the Honouliuli Wastewater Treatment Plant (WWTP).
Domestic waste water has increasingly become a resource for energy production. The use of domestic waste water as a source of energy, through the anaerobic conversion of the wastewater’s organic sludge into CH4, methane. This methane is also referred to as Renewable Natural Gas and can be used to inject into the gas grid or as a vehicle fuel.
Biogas Capture and Purification Infrastructure
At Honouliuli’s wastewater treatment plant wastewater is processed and cleaned. The organic matter that remains during this process is treated in an anaerobic digester. During this digestion process CH4, biogas, is produced. In order to efficiently use this gas, a cleaning process is necessary before it can be used as Renewable Natural Gas.
The sludge at Honouliuli’s WWTP is biodegradable and broken down by microbes in a digester, producing biogas. After impurities are removed from the raw biogas, the gas is treated with the technology provided by DMT. What remains is a ready to use high quality gas; Renewable Natural Gas which consists of 98% methane. Hawaii Gas will blend the upgraded biogas with the synthetic natural gas (SNG) already used in the islands pipeline. The biogas purification equipment and approximately half a mile of pipe will be built at the Honouliuli facility and connects the WWTP to the
existing SNG pipeline. The project is estimated to be operational by the end of 2018.
“Incorporating cost-effective renewable natural gas as part of our fuel mix is a key priority as we continue to do our part to advance Hawaii’s clean energy future,” said Alicia Moy, president & CEO, Hawaii Gas. “We look forward to pursuing similar projects that deliver renewable fuels to our customers and new revenue streams to the City. This is a win-win partnership for the residents of Honolulu and our customers.”
Current biogas output at Honouliuli WWTP is estimated to be approximately 800,000 MM BTU per year, which is currently not being utilized. The 800,000 MM BTU is approximately 2.8% of the total synthetic natural gas (SNG) demand for the island of Oahu. 800,000 MM BTU is the energy equivalent of approximately 15,000 barrels of oil or 575,500 gallons of diesel fuel.
With installing the biogas upgrading technology, 3% of the gas on the island will come from a renewable energy source. By 2020 this can grow to 15% with the collaboration through Hawaii gas and other projects on Hawaii,” Robert Lems, General Manager at DMT Clear Gas Solutions.
Hawaii Gas
Hawaii Gas is a government-franchised, full-service gas company manufacturing and distributing gas in Hawaii. Hawaii Gas manufactures synthetic natural gas, or SNG, for its utility customers on O‘ahu, and distributes liquefied petroleum gas, or LPG (propane), to utility, tank and bottled gas customers to all islands.
Shivaji Ramalingam, Business Account Director at DMT Clear Gas Solutions, “I am very pleased that this project increases Hawaii’s energy independence and contributes to circular economic activity. With more successes as this one, DMT is gaining a major biogas upgrading market share in North America. I am very excited about this project and the future of biogas market in North America.”
For more information, visit www.dmt-cgs.com.