Revolutionary technology facing Miami-Dade commissioners this week could help resolve an ever-more-costly and rapidly expanding buildup of smelly wastewater sludge and turn it into salable fuel to power cruise ships. The solution would start with a small-scale test that would cost the county $3 million, funds that would be returned if a successful test in two years moves the hydrothermal biosolids technology ahead to a far larger processing plant that would cost the county nothing and handle a third of our wastewater sludge. The group proposing that the county front $3 million to match a federal grant first must win the grant. It says tests have succeeded for years, but not at a scale to serve a metropolis. Miami-Dade would be the guinea pig for that. The grant application is due Jan. 30, making this week’s commission vote on involvement pivotal to the plan for a new wastewater sludge solution while the Cutler Ridge area today tries to cope with backed-up sludge’s odors. The potential technological breakthrough is proposed by nonprofit Provident Resources Group plus four for-profit partners that are seeking both the US Department of Energy grant and the test urban wastewater plant, which would be at Miami-Dade’s Central Plant on Virginia Key. That’s the issue on the table this week in legislation from Commissioner Raquel Regalado. While there’s not yet an agreement before the county, said Roy Coley, who was water and sewer director before a recent promotion, “the understanding on the grant item is that the county would put up $3 million. The federal government would match it with $3 million, and that begins a two-year process after that to develop a concept, a budget and a design for this technology,” hydrothermal liquefaction, which the county has yet to see in action. Documents from Provident Resources say the process in extensive tests can convert 37% to 59% of liquid sludge to marine fuel, sludge that the county accumulates at a rate of 700 million wet tons of biosolids per day, costing $26 million yearly to ship to a disposal site for composting, land application and landfilling. Those costs are rapidly rising and available disposal sites have diminished. With financial support from the Department of Energy, says Provident, its process can be “a cost-effective solution for biosolid management and renewable fuel production…. The final products are sustainable fuels like sustainable aviation fuel, renewable diesel and marine fuel.” The company’s proposal points particularly to Port Miami’s vessels as users of the product. “Provided that we’re able to demonstrate – or the vendor is – that it works, then it goes to phase 2,” said Mr. Coley, “a $100 million project, $50 million from the federal government, $50 million from the vendor, and that’s a five-year project to build out. Then the county would be obligated to pay the vendor for managing its biosolids, based on the tonnage that they’re able to handle, which is roughly speaking about a third of what we produce. That we would pay them to do.” “As far as phase 1 is concerned,” Mr. Coley said, “any technology developed becomes the property of Miami-Dade County…. If phase 2 takes place, if it proves successful, it would be built on our property.” “We’re going to be doing a test in March,” said Ms. Regalado. “We’re going to be testing it out at a smaller scale” before the county releases any money. Related Posts:Miami-Dade may move its Resources Recovery Facility…City seeks funds for Miami Marine Stadium upgradesWater and Sewer team makes sure it’s ready before…Doral’s $40 million offer to put waste plant…Three-way deal brings shore power to cruise shipsThe post Stinky county sludge might fuel cruise ships appeared first on Miami Today.