In July, two huge alternative energy generators arrived onsite at the Jacob A. Hands Wastewater Treatment Facility (JHWWTF) that will make it possible for Las Cruces Utilities (LCU) to create its own power to help run the facility without relying totally on purchased power. It’s a plan that’s been in the works for years: generating power from the methane gas that comes off the very sewage that is treated at the facility.
Historically, methane has been flared off by municipal wastewater treatment facilities. That’s exactly what LCU has done at the JHWWTF on west Amador Avenue since the gas digesters were built in the mid-1980’s. Also, historically operating a wastewater treatment facility is a very expensive process because of the energy costs to treat and disinfect the sewage. In Las Cruces, the JHWWTF processes approximately 3.3 billion gallons of sewage per year.
“Of course, we recognize methane as an energy source,” explains Klaus Kemmer, wastewater administrator, “so for years we’ve been discussing options about how to use the gas for beneficial purposes. After planning, financial projections, and technology advances LCU felt the time was right to move forward with this project and has invested $4.9 million dollars for the engine generators and gas purification system.”
Each generator is about the size of a school bus and is literally a “co-generator” that can also use inexpensive natural gas, considered to be the least expensive fuel on the planet right now, to produce electricity to power the JHWWTF.
The benefits of the new co-generation project are considered to be threefold:
1) utilizing a naturally-produced energy source to generate power to run the plant makes good sense economically and environmentally;
2) projections show constantly increasing electric rates, so reducing annual energy costs will benefit LCU customers; and
3) this investment reduces the risk of an electrical power outage disabling the plant that operates 24-hours a day.
The huge generators were shipped in from a General Electric plant in Austria and are expected to be up and running by the summer of 2018.
At the same time that the generators arrived at the JHWWTF, a private energy service company contracted by LCU - Johnson Controls, Inc. (JCI) – is performing a comprehensive Investment-Grade Energy Audit of the utility’s infrastructure and all facilities. Energy efficiency changes are expected to save the City $1.4 million dollars annually with various improvements and changes. All of these efforts help LCU maintain low costs for customers.
Suzanne Michaels provides this content on behalf of Las Cruces Utilities
You can reach Las Cruces Utilities at 528-3500 from 8 a.m. - 5 p.m. Monday through Friday. Las Cruces Utilities provides GAS – WATER – WASTEWATER – SOLID WASTE services to approximately 100,000 Las Cruces residents and businesses.