ANAEROBIC TREATMENT, FUEL CELL AT BREWERY: A three-fold increase in sewer fees led Sierra Nevada Brewery to install an up/low anaerobic sludge blanket digester. In 2005, fuel cells powered by biogas were brought on line

摘要

AS breweries experience increased energy and waste treatment costs, they are turning to solutions that allow them to reduce expenses and simultaneously improve the environment. One of these solutions, among others, is anaerobic treatment of the wastewater from the brewing process. The Sierra Nevada Brewery, in Chico, California (pop. 80,000), built its current brewery in 1989. However, it wasn't until 2002 that the brewery set out to construct an ecofriendly wastewater treatment system on site. Sierra Nevada's production had expanded significantly (and is currently at 750,000 barrels/year), leading the local wastewater treatment plant to more than triple the brewery's rates from about 1.80/ccf dollar to more than 6.00/ccf dollar.