Roseville converts organic waste into renewable fuel for solid waste trucks
Wastewater treatment upgrades produce renewable natural gas for use as renewable vehicle fuel
ROSEVILLE, Calif. — In a significant milestone, the City of Roseville has embarked on a groundbreaking initiative to decrease greenhouse gas emissions and minimize landfill waste. This effort involves powering its trash and recycling fleet with renewable natural gas (RNG) derived from the digestion of organic waste.
The regional Pleasant Grove Wastewater Treatment Plant (PGWWTP) is owned and operated by the city where the plant efficiently treats millions of gallons of wastewater daily, safeguarding the health of local streams and rivers. In addition, it plays a crucial role in benefiting the community by supplying more than half of the one billion gallons of recycled water the city delivers annually for landscaping and industrial purposes.
The PGWWTP expansion has been under construction since 2020 to increase treatment capacity from 9.5 million gallons to 12 million gallons of wastewater per day to accommodate regional population growth. As part of the expansion, Roseville has developed an energy recovery project to transform the plant into a waste-to-energy facility capable of producing RNG fuel.
“We have come full circle with managing our integrated utility service to benefit our community,” said Roseville’s Environmental Utilities Director, Richard D. Plecker. “Through this project, we have the opportunity to generate environmentally beneficial by-products, mitigate the impacts of climate change, comply with regulatory obligations, and safeguard the interests of our ratepayers by stabilizing fuel costs for our solid waste fleet.”
To bring Roseville’s energy recovery vision to reality, the city hired leading environmental engineering and construction services firm Brown and Caldwell to design the innovative renewable biofuel production facility to coincide with expansion works.
The city installed two new anaerobic digesters at the plant to stabilize wastewater solids generated in the treatment process and generate a sustainable fuel source. A receiving facility was constructed to accept high-strength organic wastes (fats, oils, and greases) directly into the anaerobic digesters, maximizing digester gas production for RNG conversion and diverting up to 12,000 tons of high-strength organic waste per year from landfill. Four microturbine cogeneration units produce electricity to help power the gas conversion process and provide heat for the anaerobic digesters.
By running its solid waste collection fleet (approximately 47 trucks) via a new on-site RNG fueling facility and ceasing diesel use, the city will reduce greenhouse gas emissions by about 7,000 metric tons of CO2 equivalents per year, equal to planting more than 270,000 trees. It will also earn credits through the Low Carbon Fuel Standard program as it lowers NOx emissions by five metric tons per year.
Furthermore, generating electricity with microturbines made the project eligible for the Clean Water State Revolving Fund Green Project Reserve, which incentivizes projects that address water or energy efficiency and reduces costs for utility customers.
“We applaud the city for its vision and follow-through in transforming its wastewater treatment process into a highly sustainable, energy-efficient operation,” said Brown and Caldwell Vice President Adam Ross. “Our team is honored to help position Roseville as a model waste-to-energy pioneer by improving the environmental and financial sustainability of the Pleasant Grove Wastewater Treatment Plant.”
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Media contacts
Cameron McWilliam
Brown and Caldwell
303.968.2055
[email protected]
Maurice Chaney
City of Roseville
916.300.7597
[email protected]
About the City of Roseville
The City of Roseville is the largest city in Placer County and is called home to 145,000 people and an array of businesses. Roseville owns and operates most municipal services, including police, fire, electric, water, wastewater, and solid waste utilities, public works, transit, parks, and libraries. For more information, visit Roseville.ca.us
About Brown and Caldwell
Headquartered in Walnut Creek, California, Brown and Caldwell is a full-service environmental engineering and construction services firm with 52 offices and over 1,900 professionals across North America and the Pacific. For more than 75 years, our creative solutions have helped municipalities, private industry, and government agencies successfully overcome their most challenging water and environmental obstacles. As an employee-owned company, Brown and Caldwell is passionate about exceeding our clients’ expectations and making a difference for our employees, our communities, and our environment. For more information, visit www.brownandcaldwell.com
