Workshop: What Should We Do with Biogas? | Register by Nov 1st

REGISTER by Friday Nov. 1

About this Event

Waste treatment plants and dairies generate biogas. This workshop shares experiences for using this resource.

Waste treatment plants, dairies and other industries across California are generating biogas at an increasing rate, exceeding their need for heating digester feed materials.

What are the best options for using the biogas? And what remaining questions need more exploration?

This one-day workshop at the University of California, Merced will bring together experts, who have years of experience with biogas, and newcomers, who have recently installed new equipment or are thinking of upgrading their equipment.

The goal is to share experiences and insights and identify what questions remain unanswered.

Morning session I: Applications for biogas

In addition to heating material entering the digester, biogas may be used for electricity generation, transportation, or cleaned for any application of natural gas. Each application requires some purification of the biogas. Electricity generators vary in efficiency, capital cost and operations and maintenance cost. The advantages and challenges of the various approaches will be compared and debated.

Speakers:

Bo Riisgaard Pedersen, Consulate General of Denmark

Will Overly, Bluesource

Panelists:

• Kyle Tos and Andrè Brasil, California Bioenergy

Morning session II: Financial considerations for biogas

The Low-Carbon Fuel Standard (LCFS) and a range of types of incentive programs strive to enable use of biogas to replace natural gas. The rules for participation can be quite complicated, but the programs may be what makes a new project feasible. Practical guidance will be given and questions answered.

Speakers:

• Anthy Alexiades, California Air Resources Board
• David Williams, CalCom Energy

Complimentary Lunch, Networking, and Posters

Posters:

Gerardo Diaz, UC Merced “Mobile Biochar Production for Methane Emission Reduction and Soil Amendment”

Afternoon session I: Bringing a project to completion

Some waste treatment plants may require investments of tens of millions of dollars and the return on investment may be questionable. What have been successful strategies for putting together a project, raising the funds, bringing the project to completion and continued successful operation.

Speakers:

• Mark Houghton and Bret Swain, Manteca Public Works
• Kyle Tos and Andrè Brasil, California Bioenergy

Afternoon session II: Breakout sessions

Participants will be invited to join smaller groups to obtain answers to detailed questions about technical options, policy options, regulatory requirements, and other issues.

Break-out sessions:

Understanding the Low-Carbon Fuel Standard – Anthy Alexiades, California Air Resources Board

Bringing a project to completion - Mark Houghton and Bret Swain, Manteca Public Works; Kyle Tos and Andrè Brasil, California Bioenergy

Methane reduction from dairies – Gerardo Diaz, UC Merced

Closing session: Wrap up

Summary and sharing of what was learned and identification of opportunities for continued discussions.

Questions? Please contact Sarah Kurtz, Professor, UC Merced at skurtz@ucmerced.edu.

Co-convened by UC Merced, CITRIS, CalCom Energy and CWEA.