Tetra Tech Partners With the City of Boulder on Biogas Use Enhancement Project

Tetra Tech is partnering with the City of Boulder, Colorado, on their innovative Biogas Use Enhancement Project, a biogas-to-renewable natural gas (RNG) conditioning system under construction at the city’s Water Resource Recovery Facility (WRRF). Biogas produced from wastewater digesters will be converted into RNG for vehicle fuel for delivery to community partners after injection into the Public Service Company of Colorado delivery systems. The delivery of RNG to the City of Boulder is scheduled for September 2020.

This project will enable the City to qualify for grants available to renewable fuel producers under the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Renewable Fuel Standard.

“This Biogas Use Enhancement Project is the next step toward making the WRRF more environmentally sustainable as well as economically viable,” says Chris Douville, Wastewater Treatment Manager for the City of Boulder. “We’re pleased to realize the positive impact on the community’s climate goals through production and use of RNG as vehicle fuel, as well as the City’s financial ability to support other renewable energy and sustainability projects in the future through sale of RNG.”

The work includes installing Tetra Tech’s proprietary BioCNG™ gas conditioning system, replacing the existing cogeneration engines and heat recovery systems, and upgrading the hydronic system used to heat the digesters and other buildings.

“From our pioneering work with one of the first biogas-to-RNG projects, more than a decade ago, to this exciting new project, Tetra Tech continues Leading with Science® to create sustainable long-term solutions,” said Paul Stout, Tetra Tech project manager. “By bringing cutting-edge technological and economical solutions to forward-looking clients, we enable them to implement projects that achieve environment stewardship goals while delivering best in-class value.”