A Tennessee company will try to make biodiesel out of sludge from the Chattanooga public works and wood chips.
This story posted on Chattanooga.com says the city council has given GSL Energy Solutions the green light on a six-month, test contract:
Gerry Harstine, president, said the bio-diesel produced by the process has a higher BTU than ethanol.
He said it can be used to power industrial boilers and high-speed, off-road diesel engines. He said further testing is needed to determine if it can work for other uses.
The firm will operate from a 100×200 facility at the Summit Landfill.
City public works will deliver the sludge to that site.
Mr. Harstine said the process can produce 2,000 gallons of the fuel from 60 wet tons of sludge. The city produces about 400 wet tons per day.
If it works, the benefits for Chattanooga are two-fold: the energy produced and the sludge going into the landfill reduced.