HomeMy WebLinkAboutPA2022-063_20220331_Project DescriptionProject Description
PA2022-063
Project Description for Renewable
Natural Gas Plant for Biofuels Coyote
Canyon Biogas, LLC
Newport Beach, California
Biofuels Coyote Canyon Biogas, LLC
4444 Westheimer Road, Suite 450G
Houston, TX 77027
3900 Kilroy Airport Way, Suite 100
Long Beach, CA 90806
562-426-9544
01221270.00 Task 1 | March 16, 2022
PA2022-063
Project Description for RNG Facility www.scsengineers.com
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Table of Contents
Section Page
Introduction...................................................................................................................................... 1
Overview .................................................................................................................................... 1
Project Location ........................................................................................................................ 1
Background Information .......................................................................................................... 1
Project Description .......................................................................................................................... 2
RNG Processing Facility ........................................................................................................... 2
Pipeline Injection ...................................................................................................................... 3
Existing Operation .................................................................................................................... 4
Proposed Operation ................................................................................................................. 4
CEQA Determination ........................................................................................................................ 5
Figures
Figure 1. RNG Process Flow Diagram
Figure 2. Components of a Pipeline Interconnection
Appendices
Appendix A BCCB Process Flow Diagram and Process Description
Appendix B Facility Plans
Appendix C Noise Study
Appendix D Aesthetics Planning
PA2022-063
Project Description for RNG Facility 1 www.scsengineers.com
INTRODUCTION
The United States Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) encourages the recovery and beneficial
use of biogas as a renewable energy resource, including the production of renewable natural gas
(RNG), as a means of reducing emissions and providing other environmental benefits. RNG is a term
used to describe biogas that has been upgraded to natural gas quality to be used in place of fossil
natural gas. The proposed RNG facility would process the landfill gas (LFG) that is currently flared
into pipeline grade RNG for supply to customers.
OVERVIEW
The following information has been prepared by SCS Engineers (SCS) on behalf of Biofuels Coyote
Canyon Biogas, LLC (BCCB) to provide the City of Newport Beach with information on the proposal to
install a new RNG plant (RNG Plant) at the Coyote Canyon Landfill (CCL). It is provided to support an
Initial Study/Mitigated Negative Declaration (IS/MND) per the California Environmental Quality Act
(CEQA).
BCCB is proposing to divert the current LFG, and future quantities of LFG collected, to a new RNG
Plant, and as a result, put the LFG to a more valuable use. The LFG is currently being flared by
Orange County Waste & Recycling (OCWR), who owns and operates the CCL. None of the existing
operations at the CCL will be under common ownership or control with the proposed RNG Plant.
The RNG Plant will convert LFG into a pipeline quality natural gas equivalent, by removing hydrogen
sulfide (H2S), volatile organic compounds (VOCs), carbon dioxide (CO2), nitrogen (N2), and oxygen
(O2). The RNG will be injected into the Southern California Gas Company (SoCalGas) pipeline.
An application for an Authority to Construct/Permit to Operate (ATC/PTO) for the proposed RNG Plant
shall be filed with the South Coast Air Quality Management District (SCAQMD or District). Issuance of
the air permit is contingent upon CEQA approval.
PROJECT LOCATION
The proposed RNG Plant will be located at the CCL. CCL is located at 20661 Newport Coast Drive in
the City of Newport Beach, California. A map showing the location of the proposed RNG Plant at the
CCL site can be found in Appendix A.
BACKGROUND INFORMATION
Facility Owner Biofuels Coyote Canyon Biogas, LLC
4444 Westheimer Road, Suite 450G
Houston, TX 77027
Facility Address Biofuels Coyote Canyon Biogas, LLC
20662 Newport Coast Drive
Newport Beach, CA 92660
Nature of Business RNG Facility
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Project Description for RNG Facility 2 www.scsengineers.com
Contacts
Mr. Shawn Bratt
Archaea Energy Inc.
4444 Westheimer Rd Suite G450
Houston, TX 77027
(415) 819-8587
sbratt@archaea.energy
Ms. Gabrielle Stephens
Project Manager
SCS Engineers
4683 Chabot Drive, Suite 200
Pleasanton, California 94588
(562) 355-6510
gstephens@scsengineers.com
Estimated Construction Schedule Start: January 2023
Complete: January 2024
Operation Schedule 24 hours per day
7 days per week
52 weeks per year
With scheduled shutdown for plant
maintenance
PROJECT DESCRIPTION
RNG PROCESSING FACILITY
RNG is a term used to describe anaerobically-generated biogas that has been upgraded (or refined)
for use in place of fossil natural gas. Raw biogas from the CCL typically has a methane (CH4) content
between 40 and 45% and must go through a series of steps to be converted into RNG. Treatment
includes removing moisture, CO2 and trace-level contaminants (including siloxanes, VOCs and H2S),
as well as reducing the N2 and O2 content. Once purified, the RNG has a CH4 content of between 96
and 98%. Figure 1 depicts the general stages of biogas processing and end uses, in the proposed
project the first stage of Primary Treatment is covered by the existing landfill flaring facility operated
by OCWR, while the Secondary and Advanced treatment are included within the scope of the RNG
plant.
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Project Description for RNG Facility 3 www.scsengineers.com
Figure 1. RNG Process Flow Diagram
As a substitute for fossil natural gas, RNG has many potential uses. RNG can be used as vehicle fuel,
to generate electricity, in thermal applications, or as a bio-product feedstock. RNG can be injected
into natural gas transmission or distribution pipelines, or it can be used locally (i.e., at or near the
site where the gas is created). In this project, the RNG will be transported to remote customers using
the SoCalGas’s distribution and transmission system.
PIPELINE INJECTION
Pipeline injection conveys the RNG across a vast distribution network and provides flexibility on how
and where the RNG is ultimately used. The RNG produced must meet the specification requirements
of the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) and SoCalGas. This delivery method includes a
regulated interconnection agreement between the project and SoCalGas. Included within the
interconnection scope is the permitting, interconnection equipment, and construction, performed by
SoCalGas.
Interconnection consists of two primary components, a “point of receipt” and a “pipeline extension,”
as shown in Figure 2, below. The point of receipt monitors the quality of the RNG to ensure that it
meets specifications and includes equipment to prevent non-compliant gas from entering the
pipeline. The point of receipt also meters and odorizes the RNG prior to injection. RNG will be
delivered to the point of receipt from the production facility through piping built specifically for this
purpose. The point of receipt facility will be located within the OCWR existing walled compound that
surrounds the RNG plant.
The pipeline extension is a dedicated pipeline to transfer the RNG from the point of receipt to the
fossil natural gas pipeline located on Newport Coast Drive. In this project, the pipeline extension
already exists from a previous service and will be re-used by SoCalGas to convey the RNG into their
system, therefore no pipeline excavation or construction will be necessary with this proposed project.
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Project Description for RNG Facility 4 www.scsengineers.com
Figure 2. Components of a Pipeline Interconnection
EXISTING OPERATION
The site is owned and operated by OCWR. CCL is located at 20661 Newport Coast Drive, in the City
of Newport Beach, between Bonita Canyon and San Joaquin Hills Roads (California State Route 73).
The CCL is a closed landfill that was a Class III municipal solid waste landfill located in the City of
Newport Beach (previously unincorporated Orange County) and operated by the OCWR. CCL began
disposal operations in 1963 and ceased operations in 1990. The waste footprint of CCL occupied
approximately 325 acres, and CCL accepted approximately sixty (60) million cubic yards of
household waste, commercial waste, industrial waste, and agricultural waste. On March 23, 1995,
the Landfill’s Final Closure Plan received certification from the CalRecycle, Regional Water Quality
Control Board (RWQCB) and the Local Enforcement Agency (LEA). Closure for the Landfill was
officially recorded as May 7, 2003.
The District has issued a Title V Permit for CCL, which includes an LFG collection and control system
(GCCS) including up to 428 vertical gas collection wells and an LFG flaring system consisting of four
flares and two blowers. The four flares are each a Zink Company Thermal Oxidizer Flares (ZTOF), with
a capacity of 1,500 standard cubic feet per minute (scfm), not to exceed a total of 4,500 scfm
combined. In 2013, a landfill gas-to-energy (Coyote Canyon Energy, LLC [CCE]) began operation
utilizing the LFG generated from CCL, yet operation of CCE ceased in 2015. The existing GCCS is
operated by OCWR.
PROPOSED OPERATION
BCCB is proposing to divert the current LFG, and future quantities of LFG collected, to a new RNG
Plant, and as a result, shall put the LFG to a beneficial use for energy recovery. The LFG is currently
being flared by the OCWR at CCL, with the energy value wasted. None of the existing operations at
the CCL will be under common ownership or control with the proposed RNG Plant. The proposed RNG
Plant shall employ two operators onsite routinely for the continuous operation of the facility.
The RNG Plant will convert LFG into a pipeline quality natural gas equivalent, by removing H2S, VOCs,
CO2, N2, and O2. A process flow diagram (PFD) detailing the processes employed in the RNG Plant
can be found in Appendix A, with the site plans. The RNG will be injected into the SoCalGas pipeline.
BCCB will install a pipe on landfill property from the proposed RNG Plant facility south to a metering
station. The metering station has no compressor, so there will be no noise. A drawing of the metering
site location can be found in Appendix B.
PA2022-063
Project Description for RNG Facility 5 www.scsengineers.com
The H2S is largely converted into elemental sulfur. Almost all of the VOCs and a fraction of the
original H2S will be sent to a thermal oxidizer (TOX) for destruction, along with the CO2, N2, and O2
that has been removed from the LFG. The gas sent to the TOX is called waste gas. The waste gas
contains only about 8% CH4. In order to assure stable combustion of the waste gas, at a minimum of
1,400 degrees Fahrenheit (ºF), it is necessary to provide supplemental fuel (conventional natural
gas) to the TOX. The TOX is a continuous source of air emissions
BCCB will also install an off-specification gas enclosed flare to burn off-specification RNG. The
pipeline receiving the RNG has a strict minimum requirement for CH4 and strict upper limits on CO2,
N2 and O2. If these limits are exceeded, it will be necessary to divert the RNG to an off-specification
gas enclosed flare until such time as the RNG quality returns to acceptable limits. It is expected that
the RNG will be off-specification no more than 400 hours per year; however, BCCB will be requesting
that a very conservative 800 hours per year of operation of the off-specification gas flare be
permitted.
The flares operated by OCWR at the CCL will be used as backup if the RNG Plant goes off-line, or to
combust any excess LFG that is not used by the RNG Plant. Based on the current permitted flow rate
of 4,500 scfm (adjusted to 50% CH4), the flare station can provide 100% backup to the proposed
RNG Plant capacity, which is 3,000 scfm. The propose project shall divert LFG from being
combusted at the existing flares and will utilize the LFG to create RNG, having a beneficial use of the
LFG. It is anticipated that this project wil result in a net reduction of emissions, including nitrous
oxides (NOx), carbon monoxide (CO) and volatile organic compounds (VOCs). The RNG produced will
primarily be used as a vehicle fuel that would otherwise use diesel fuel and gasoline.
CEQA DETERMINATION
BCCB is requesting an MND CEQA determination. In accordance with the CEQA Technical Advice
Series, Mitigated Negative Declarations, the following prerequisites must exist for adopting an MND
include:
1. Making a good faith effort to determine whether there is substantial evidence that the project
would result in any significant environmental effect.
2. Incorporating effective revisions or mitigation measures into the project to alleviate potential
significant effects prior to circulating the draft Negative Declaration for public review.
3. Evidence in the record to support the agency's determination that there will be no significant
effect as a result of the project.
As this project is anticipated to fulfill all of these prerequisites, as the proposed project shall reroute
LFG for a beneficial use with production of RNG versus the current wasted use of the LFG. The
environmental impacts are anticipated to be minimal, as such, evaluations have been conducted
and will be conducted in the future to assess the mitigations, if any, necessary for the proposed
project. Currently, the environmental impacts of the noise resulting from the proposed project have
been assessed, with the noise study included in Appendix C. Additionally, an evaluation of the
aesthetics of the proposed project has been completed with 3-D modeling. The visual impacts are
anticipated to be mitigated through the use of non-reflective camouflage painting motif, as
demonstrated in Appendix D. The air quality impacts will be addressed through SCAQMD permitting,
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Project Description for RNG Facility 6 www.scsengineers.com
with the reduction in flare emissions and the creation of a renewable fuel to displace fossil fuel, the
project will have a net reduction in air pollutant and greenhouse gas emissions.
PA2022-063