Escondido Disposal AD Facility

Beginning in 1991, JRMA has provided design services for five major additions to the facility: 1) single stream MRF  and new vehicle maintenance building; 2) transfer station expansion, HHW facility, and addition of separate self-haul area; 3) new corporate yard, including relocation and expansion of vehicle maintenance building; 4) mixed-waste MRF and new administrative building; and 5) anaerobic digestion (AD) facility, including receiving and pre-processing for green waste and food waste plus new employee facility with visitor center.

The AD project includes converting an existing MRF building into a dedicated AD receiving and processing area. JRMA was selected by EDI to perform design services for all balance-of-plant work, including process integration, building modifications, foundations, and support equipment necessary for two anaerobic digesters and gas-upgrading equipment. The initial two digesters will be capable of processing up to 93,000 tons per year (TPY), and that throughput will be doubled upon the installation of two more digesters in a later phase.

The proposed AD system and related equipment and systems provided by Hitachi Zosen Inova USA, LLC are designed to process source separated organics (SSO) and green waste to create environmentally friendly biogas. The gas upgrading equipment converts the biogas to renewable natural gas (RNG) suitable for pipeline injection and use as CNG vehicle fuel. This will enable EDI to inject the RNG into the local San Diego Gas & Electric (SDG&E) gas transmission pipeline.

In addition to the overall system, the City of Escondido requested that the developed AD area be screened from public view. This required the architectural design of a 30’ tall screen wall that mimics a commercial building.