Columbia Biogas has entered into a small-generator interconnection agreement with PacifiCorp Transmission for interconnection to the utility's Killingsworth substation in northeast Portland. Under the agreement, Columbia Biogas will convert commercial food waste to renewable power at its local Portland plant and deliver the electricity to the PacifiCorp system.
For the project, Columbia Biogas will receive food waste from commercial and industrial sources, such as grocery stores, restaurants and food distributors. A process of anaerobic digestion in sealed tanks will degrade organic matter to produce methane-rich biogas.
In May, Columbia Biogas signed a power purchase agreement with PacifiCorp for the energy output of its plant, which is expected to initially generate 3 MW of electrical power. (Columbia Biogas intends to increase the plant's electrical production to 5 MW.)
The Columbia Biogas facility, which will be located in northeast Portland at 6849 NE Columbia Blvd. near Interstate-205, was approved by the Oregon Department of Environmental Quality and Metro in 2010.
