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Bioenergy Development Company, LLC (BDC), proposes to expand its Bioenergy Innovation Center, in Seaford, to produce renewable natural gas from organic wastes. The project will require multiple permits from the Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control (DNREC).
Community Workshop
Wednesday, Sept. 28, 2022, at 6 p.m.
– Workshop Presentation (In English)
– Presentación del Taller (En Español)
– Prezantasyon Atelye (An Kreyòl Ayisyen)
Public Hearing
Wednesday, Oct. 26, 2022, at 6 p.m.
Information on each permit needed, along with applications and supporting materials, is found below.
DNREC held an an informational community workshop focused on the expansion project on Sept. 28, 2022. The information session provided information about the project and the DNREC permitting process and provided a forum for community engagement.
The Department will hold a public hearing to take comments on all of the proposed permits for the project before any final determinations are made by the Department.
Closed-captioning, in languages including English and Spanish, is available as an option for participants in both the workshop and hearing.
DNREC to Host Community Workshop on Proposed Biogas Facility in Southern Delaware (8/22/22)
Notice of the Permit Applications and Public Hearing
Delaware State News (Aug. 21, 2022)
News Journal (Aug. 21, 2022)
DNREC Website (Aug. 21, 2022)
Cape Gazette (Aug. 23, 2022)
Notice of the Permit Applications and Public Hearing, Updated
Cape Gazette (Sept. 23, 2022)
DNREC Website (Sept. 23, 2022)
Sept. 23 Notice in Translation
– En Español
– An Kreyòl Ayisyen
Delaware State News (Sept. 25, 2022)
News Journal (Sept. 25, 2022)
The Bioenergy Innovation Center, located at 28338 Enviro Way, is currently permitted to accept organic waste from approved poultry industry sources for composting.
The proposed expansion includes construction of an anaerobic digestion system, a wastewater pretreatment system and a biogas upgrading plant. There will also be an emergency generator. Byproducts from the process would include pipeline-grade renewable natural gas (RNG) and digestate, which would be dewatered and is proposed for use in the adjacent compost facility or to be marketed, in the future, as a soil amendment (this would require a Distribution and Marketing permit that is not part of the current project and applications).
The proposed facility would have the capacity to receive and process up to 250,000 tons per year of permitted organic waste.
The project requires permits from three DNREC divisions:
Bioenergy Development Company has applied for a Resource Recovery Permit from the DNREC Division of Waste and Hazardous Substances to construct an anaerobic digestion system, biogas upgrading plant, and compost facility.
The facility would be designed to process poultry industry wastes into digestate, pipeline-grade renewable natural gas (RNG), and compost. Wastes the facility will accept include poultry litter, hatchery waste, dissolved air flotation (DAF) solid cake and liquid sludge, offal, waste activated sludge, agricultural residuals (e.g., soybean husks, etc.) from feed operations, and fats, oils, and greases.
The capacity of the proposed facility is 250,000 tons per year.
For information on how you can inspect a physical copy of this application or if you have any questions about the Solid Waste Permit, please contact Adam Schlachter via email at adam.schlachter@delaware.gov or via phone at 302-739-9403.
Resource Recovery Permit Application Materials
Resource Recovery Permit Application Checklist
Draft Resource Recovery Permit
Bioenergy Development Company has requested Natural Minor Permits from the Division of Air Quality to construct one natural gas fired emergency generator with a standby power rating of 1,082 KW (1,451 HP) and four anaerobic digesters with associated biogas upgrade and air pollution control equipment.
The engine used in the proposed generator set is certified to comply with, and will be required to adhere to, U.S. EPA regulations under the provisions of Subpart JJJJ to 40 CFR 60 and the applicable emissions standards located therein. Construction of the generator would be completed in accordance with the requirements of Permit: APC-2022/0048-CONSTRUCTION.
The facility is proposed to receive and anaerobically digest poultry industry liquid and solid cake DAF waste, poultry litter, and bioreactor sludge from the on-site wastewater plant. Biogas generated during the anaerobic digestion process would be filtered and conditioned to meet the standards required for use in the natural gas pipeline grid. The digestate produced would be dewatered and is proposed for use in the adjacent compost facility. A series of filtration equipment would be used to refine the gas and separate unwanted compounds from the product gas stream. The unwanted gas stream would be combusted by a regenerative thermal oxidizer (RTO) or, in the event of equipment maintenance or excessive biogas production, a flare prior to emission into the atmosphere.
Emissions from the regenerative thermal oxidizer associated with the anaerobic digestion process will be permitted to emit 0.017 tons per year (TPY) of Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs), 1.104 TPY of nitrogen oxides (NOx), 0.023 TPY of particulate matter (PM), 0.002 TPY of sulfur oxides (SOx), and 0.258 TPY of carbon monoxide (CO) by Permit: APC-2022/0049-CONSTRUCTION. Emissions from the flare associated with the anaerobic digestion process will be permitted to emit 0.001 tons per year (TPY) of VOCs, 4.5 TPY of NOx, 0.002 TPY of PM, 0.001 TPY of SOx, and 20.6 TPY of CO by Permit: APC-2022/0049-CONSTRUCTION.
For information on how you can inspect a physical copy of this application or if you have any questions about the Air Quality Natural Minor Permit, please contact Tracy Mattson via email at tracy.mattson@delaware.gov or via phone at 302-739-9402.
Air Quality Natural Minor Permit Application Materials
Bioenergy Development Company has applied for Wastewater Facility Construction Permits from the Division of Water to construct an anaerobic digestion system and a wastewater pretreatment system as part of the proposed resource recovery facility.
The anaerobic digestion system and wastewater pretreatment system will include three 0.208-million-gallon pretreatment tanks and four 1.95-million-gallon fermentation tanks, a membrane bioreactor system (MBR), a 0.198-million-gallon anoxic tank, a 0.412-million-gallon aerobic reactor, a 0.198-million-gallon ultrafiltration feeding tank and ultrafiltration and reverse osmosis treatment systems.
The treated wastewater will be pumped and hauled to the Seaford wastewater treatment and disposal facility. A future construction phase will eliminate the need to transport the wastewater via truck by constructing a sanitary sewer pump station and force main that will connect to a future City of Seaford force main located in front of the site on Seaford Road.
For information on how you can inspect a physical copy of this application and supporting documents or if you have any questions about the Wastewater Facility Construction Permits, please contact Derrick Caruthers via email at derrick.caruthers@delaware.gov or via phone at 302-739-9948.
Wastewater Facility Permit Application Materials
Anaerobic Digestor
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