SACRAMENTO, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Last evening CleanWorld, North America’s leading pioneer of anaerobic digestion technology and commercially viable zero waste solutions, was honored by California Governor Edmund G. Brown, Jr. for their Sacramento BioDigester project, the largest anaerobic digestion system of its kind in North America. The award recognizes CleanWorld’s project as “exceptional for its innovative spirit,” and “valuable in improving California’s environment and economy.”
This is California’s highest environmental honor and the 4th major award for CleanWorld in 2013, concluding an important year of commercialization progress. The system converts 25 tons of food waste per day into various forms of renewable energy including heat, electricity, and natural gas, in addition to producing fertilizer and soil enhancements for California farms.
Opened in January of 2013, the Sacramento BioDigester project is now under construction to expand its size four-fold, to 100 tons per day of food waste, or nearly 40,000 tons per year. The expansion is projected to be operational by Q2 of 2014. CleanWorld expects to close on several new projects throughout the U.S. in 2014.
Due to its tremendous economic and environmental benefits, the Sacramento BioDigester has vaulted Sacramento to the forefront of the clean technology revolution, and has received significant recognition, including the PowerGen International Bioenergy Project of the Year for 2013, beating out 16 other global nominees; Energy Vision’s Leadership Award for furthering the gains in renewable transportation fuel production; and Innovate-North State’s Game Changer of the Year Award, recognized there as an innovating force for job creation and economic growth. CleanWorld’s CEO Michele Wong also received recognition in December as Woman Innovator of the Year by Innovate North State.
Next Economy Game Changer
Sacramento Mayor Kevin Johnson was selected as a member of President Barack Obama’s Task Force on Climate Preparedness and Resilience this past September, at the same time the Capital Region is advancing its Capital Region Prosperity Plan. This plan will amplify the region’s global market transactions, foster a strong innovation environment, diversify the regional economy through market clusters (Clean and Green as an example), and promoting and develop world class talent to match the region’s business growth sectors.
CleanWorld is a leading company in the region who benefits from these efforts and exemplifies innovative business and collaborative partnerships driving the region’s momentum and powerful economic, social, and environmental impacts for the Next Economy—doing well by doing good. CleanWorld is an example of what this kind of investment in clean technology can mean for people in communities all over the world.
About the Sacramento BioDigester Facility
The facility will produce 700,000 diesel gallon equivalents per year of renewable CNG, prevent the release of 18,000 tons of CO2 into the atmosphere, produce organic soils and fertilizer products for Sacramento area farms, and generate one million kilowatts of electricity to be used to power the facility and the adjacent fueling station. By creating CNG from waste that would otherwise have gone to landfills, the project produces the first negative carbon intensity fuel that is commercially available in the US.
| “CleanWorld is tremendously excited to see our anaerobic digestion technology receive widespread attention and recognition in the US and around the globe. We are honored to share this award with our regional and project partners, who we believe represent the model collaboration team for these solutions.” | |||||
| - Michele Wong, CEO, CleanWorld. |
CleanWorld is currently completing construction of the UC Davis Renewable Energy Anaerobic Digester (READ) at the former UC Davis landfill, slated for commissioning January 2014. The facility will convert nearly 20,000 tons of food waste per year into electricity to power the University of California, Davis campus. In 2012, the company also placed into service the American River Packaging BioDigester in Natomas, CA, which produces electricity for the box manufacturing company.
For a complete list of 2013 awards, projects, partners, or additional information contact Tracy Saville, VP of Marketing at tracy.saville@cleanworld.com. Or visit cleanworld.com.
