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Water and Sewer

Bioenergy Recovery Project

Neuse River Resource Recovery Facility

The Bioenergy Recovery Project is a new way to manage waste byproducts at the Neuse River Resource Recovery Facility, which is the City's main wastewater treatment plant. At this time the waste byproducts, called biosolids, are highly treated at the Neuse River Resource Recovery Facility and applied to surrounding agriculture fields or taken offsite by a contractor. However, because the existing biosolids handling equipment is in need of replacement and the overall biosolids amount will increase with future growth, a new treatment system is needed.

For more information, please visit our project page. 

 

Project Details

 
Type:
Water and Sewer
Budget:
$227,163,000
Project Lead:
Crowder Construction Company (Construction Manager) and Hazen & Black & Veatch (Engineer of Record)

Contact

 

Edward Stempien, PE
Senior Project Administrator
Phone: 919-996-3490 
Office Location: 1 Exchange Plaza Suite 620
Raleigh, NC 27601 

Lead Department:
Water
Participating Department:
Sustainability

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Pre-Approval

This phase is complete.

Lead Department:
Water

Programmed

This phase is complete.

Lead Department:
Water

Planning

This phase is complete.

Lead Department:
Water

Design

This phase is complete.

Lead Department:
Water

Right of Way Acquisition

This phase is complete.

Lead Department:
Water

Construction

The Bioenergy Recovery Project is currently 95% complete and is scheduled to begin initial energy production in the fall of 2024. The project scope included twenty acres of site work, deep utilities, eleven process buildings totaling 75,000 square feet, two anerobic digesters, steam production, gas flares, and renewable natural gas cleaning and compression. The new anerobic digesters are in the process of being seeded with one million gallons of seed sludge, which will allow the new thermal hydrolysis process to be started. Other completed upgrades included the replacement of one aging backup generator with one new standby generator, rehabilitation of the thickening building and final dewatering building, and upgrades to the existing Alum process. The final process upgrade, the Sidestream process, treats wastewater with a significant decrease in chemical use and is the last process to be commissioned. The project began in the spring of 2019, and it is scheduled to be completed in Fall 2024.  

New Pump Station Construction 

New Pump Station Construction 

New Thickening Building Construction

New Thickening Building Construction

New Digester Building Construction

New Digester Building Construction

Thermal Tanks

Thermal Hydrolysis Process System 

Thermal Tanks

Thermal Hydrolysis Process System

Digester Tank Electrical Slab

New Digester Building with Control Area

Digester Control Building

Digester Control Building Construction

Bioenergy
Bioenergy2
Bioenergy3
BRP_Pipes
BRP_Pipes_2
Lead Department:
Water

Complete

Phase details coming soon.

Lead Department:
Water

History

Funding for the project comes in part from a sustainable energy grant awarded by the Clean Water State Revolving Fund. Additionally, the City of Raleigh qualified for a 0% interest loan for the project which will result in a savings of over $25 million. Also, an anticipated 48% reduction in the volume of solids produced will significantly reduce the transportation cost of solids removal. The energy process upgrades will also generate natural gas for the City of Raleigh's natural gas bus fleet. City of Raleigh Public Utilities Department, now also known as ‘Raleigh Water’, was recognized on November 18, 2019 as an Exceptional Project Honoree by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency through their Clean Water State Revolving Fund for the Bio-energy Recovery Project. The Bioenergy Recovery Project team completed the equipment procurement and initial bid stage. Staff agreed on a services scope and fee covering the early earth work removal. A 'Notice To Proceed' was issued to the construction manager on July 29, 2019. Early earth work is now at 100% completion for this project. Construction for the Thickening Rehabilitation building, Screening and Pre-conditioning building and Thermal Hydrolysis and Anaerobic Digestion tanks began in January 2020. 

Schedule

Date Activity
Summer 2019 Project Design Complete
Ongoing Permitting Complete
N/A Easement Acquisition Complete
Summer 2019 Project Bid Complete
Summer 2019 Project Construction Begins
Fall 2024 Project Construction Complete