Veolia Partners with University Area Joint Authority to Develop its First Biological Hydrolysis System in North America to Accelerate Local Decarbonised Energy Production
- This project is based on an anaerobic co-digestion solution that will convert a waste stream into local decarbonised energy and revenue stream, providing a regional model for treating biosolids
- It will generate approximately 150,000GJ of renewable natural gas annually, creating local decarbonised energy for the ecological transformation of the State College community
Veolia, one of the world leaders in water technologies, has been selected by the University Area Joint Authority (UAJA) in State College, Pennsylvania, to implement an unprecedented complete anaerobic digestion solution for biosolids and biowaste at its wastewater treatment plant. The biogas generated from the digestate will be upgraded to renewable natural gas and sold into the grid.
The regional co-location project will expand the existing wastewater treatment plant’s biosolids process to include advanced anaerobic digestion, thermal drying and biogas upgrading. Once operational, the facility will digest surrounding wastewater treatment plants’ sludge and locally collected food waste, diverting it from landfills.
The anaerobic digestion system is compliant with EPA 503 regulations out of the box and will produce 162 standard cubic feet per minute (SCFM) of raw biogas for blended biosolids slurry and 264 SCFM of food waste slurry. Those outputs are expected to generate approximately 150,000GJ of renewable natural gas annually, creating local decarbonised energy for the ecological transformation of the State College community.
Local decarbonising energy through bioenergies and water technologies are strategic activities to which the Veolia Group will devote a major share of its resources, as part of its GreenUp strategic plan.
To carry out this high-impact project, Veolia has teamed up with Rettew Associates, Inc., who designed the project, and Quandel, the construction contractor. Veolia will deliver this first biological hydrolysis pretreatment system in North America by summer 2025.
Veolia’s expertise in water technologies was selected for the biosolids and organics anaerobic digestion process equipment, including enhanced biological hydrolysis (Class A), sequential gas mixing, heat exchangers, gas holder, and associated equipment. Veolia’s scope includes Ecrusor™ for pre-processing food waste and BioCo™ for volume reduction of digested sludge.
This project delivers a unique example of ecological transformation — literally converting waste into local energy and revenue. Once complete, this project will serve as a blueprint for nearly any region that allows a municipality to produce energy from its waste, which goes beyond a sustainability initiative and creates savings for constituents.
Richard Gray, Senior Vice President, Engineered Solutions Projects, Veolia Water Technologies & Solutions
“This project is the culmination of many years of planning and efforts by the Authority to ensure that we are employing the most cost-effective technology and harnessing the value of our community’s wastewater,” said Cory Miller, Executive Director of the University Area Joint Authority. “At the helm of the Authority for 27 years, I have seen tremendous changes. Our existing biosolids process, composting, started in 1994 and was among the few operational facilities of its kind in the nation. Having reached its retirement, the Authority is excited to replace these facilities with Veolia’s innovative biosolids digestion and drying that will position the Authority for the next 30 years.”
Learn more about how Veolia’s biosolids solutions and products create an ecological transformation for municipalities and industrial businesses.
About Veolia
Veolia’s ambition is to become the benchmark company for ecological transformation. With nearly 218,000 employees on five continents, the Group designs and deploys useful, practical solutions for managing water, waste and energy that help to radically change the world. Through its three complementary activities, Veolia contributes to developing access to resources, preserving available resources and renewing them. In 2023, the Veolia group served 113 million people with drinking water and 103 million with wastewater services, produced 42 terawatt-hours of energy and recovered 63 million metric tons of waste. Veolia Environnement (Paris Euronext: VIE) generated consolidated sales of EUR45.3 billion in 2023.
About University Area Joint Authority
The University Area Joint Authority is the municipal authority that provides wastewater collection, treatment, biosolids management, and water reuse for the Borough of State College, College Township, Ferguson Township, Harris Township, and Patton Township. Nationally recognized as a Utility of the Future Today three times by the Water Environment Federation, the Authority is a leader in management of wastewater for a growing community and has embraced sustainability and a forward-thinking approach to wastewater management on a watershed scale. Formed in 1969, the Authority comprehensively manages its assets for prudent fiscal operations and long-term sustainability, meeting today’s and tomorrow’s regulatory challenges.