City of Raleigh launches biomass to biofuels program

As the City of Raleigh moves forward with strategic plans to improve energy efficiency and reduce its carbon footprint, it has launched a unique biomass-to-biofuels project. In addition to an LED-certified building and solar arrays, the City of Raleigh is now producing biodiesel derived from sunflowers at the Neuse River Waste Water Treatment Plant, a 60 million-gallons-per-day facility that serves Raleigh, Garner, Knightdale, Wake Forest, Zebulon, Wendell, and Rolesville. The project’s method for producing sunflowers is unique because the city utilizes reclaimed water from the treatment plant for irrigation.

The city’s public utilities department owns and operates the treatment facility that includes approximately 1,500 acres of farmland. As part of the wastewater treatment process, biosolids are produced on a daily basis. The farmland serves as a disposal site for this stabilized sludge, which acts as an organic fertilizer for biofuels feedstock crops such as sunflowers. The site is an ideal setting for alternative energy production as well as nutrient uptake by biofuels feedstock crops, as utilizing reclaimed water for irrigation reduces the environmental impact on the Neuse River. In 2010, the City of Raleigh produced approximately 1,000 bushels of sunflower seed on 27 acres of farmland. The seed was then crushed and processed into biodiesel, which fueled city buses, trucks, and tractors. The project found great success in 2011, producing 20,000 bushels of sunflower seed ready for fuel production.

As the Biofuels Center has identified civic and small-scale biofuels production to be a key component to reaching the state’s “10 percent in 10 years” goal, the City of Raleigh’s biodiesel project is a model that could be replicated by other municipalities. Many of North Carolina’s city, town, and county leaders have recognized the varied opportunities to improve efficiency and cut costs through small-scale biofuels programs, and the City of Raleigh’s innovative approach sets the example for future civic endeavors.

Article courtesy of the Biofuels Center of North Carolina