Combined Heat and Power Distributed Generation Renewable Energy
A.K. Warren Water Resource Facility - Total Energy Facility
24501 S. Figueroa Street
Carson, CA 90745
Background
The Warren Facility is one of the largest wastewater treatment plants in the world and is the largest of the Sanitation Districts' wastewater treatment plants. The facility provides both primary and secondary treatment for approximately 260 million gallons of wastewater per day. The plant serves a population of approximately 3-1/2 million people throughout Los Angeles County. In the early 1980s, the Sanitation Districts conducted an extensive study that determined that a new gas turbine combined cycle digester gas power generating facility best matched the power and digester heating needs. The initial facility included three solar gas turbines and a steam turbine with a combined output of 15 MW. In 2013, the Sanitation Districts increased the maximum operating capacity to approximately 38 MW of electricity. This facility currently generates 21-22 MW of electricity for onsite use. This output meets the onsite power and heating needs for wastewater treatment.
Power Generation and Heat Recovery
The power generating facility consists of three Solar Mars gas turbines each rated for a gross output of 9.9 MW. These turbines exhaust into heat recovery steam generators for production of steam that is used for digester heating and/or the production of electricity with a steam turbine. The facility is designed for fully automated operation and can operate in parallel with the grid or independent of the utility.
Benefits
The on-site generation of power permits the Warren Facility to be self-sufficient with respect to its energy requirements in the event of failure of the local utility. In a typical year, the facility meets approximately 95 percent of plant power needs, while saving close to $20 million in retail power purchases.
- 21-22 MW power for on-site use
- Avoids $20 million per year in electricity purchases
