NEW FRANKLIN: A biodigester project in southern Summit County is getting $2 million in federal funds.
The grant from the U.S. Department of Agriculture to Lime Lakes Energy LLC in New Franklin was announced by U.S. Sen. Sherrod Brown, D-Ohio. A second grant of $1,250,000 was awarded to Wooster Renewable Energy LLC for a similar facility in Wayne County. Ohio got $6.75 million for four other projects in Cuyahoga, Paulding, Williams and Morrow counties. Construction is under way on the $4.5 million anaerobic digester in New Franklin, a project by Lime Lakes Energy LLC, a subsidiary of the Cleveland-based quasar energy group, in cooperation with PPG Industries.
The plant, scheduled to be fully operational by January, will turn sewage sludge into compressed natural gas for vehicles. It is being built near Vanderhoof and Rex Hill roads.
The system relies on decomposition by bacteria that do not need oxygen, a process known as anaerobic digestion. The bacteria make the high-solids sludge ferment. The bacteria produce a burnable gas that is mostly methane. The sludge from local sewage plants will be processed for 25 to 30 days at temperatures of 90 to 100 degrees. Food wastes and grease also will be processed. The facility is expected to produce compressed natural gas each day equivalent to 3,000 gallons of gasoline.
Leftover wastes from the operation will be used to speed up the reclamation of Lime Lake 6 by PPG Industries. The project previously was awarded $1 million from the Ohio Department of Development.
quasar energy has five plants operating in Akron, Wooster, Columbus, Zanesville and Rutland, Mass. The Akron digester produces electricity; the three other Ohio plants produce compressed natural gas. Two additional digesters are under construction in Cleveland and Haviland. Akron is partnering with KB Compost to enlarge the digester system at the city’s composting plant off Riverview Road. The $32 million expansion is to be completed in 18 months.
The city will use the electricity to power the compost plant and the nearby sewage treatment plant. The compost plant will cease processing sludge, a move that will eliminate odors.
Bob Downing can be reached at 330-996-3745 or bdowning@thebeaconjournal.com.
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