The Netherlands-The Dutch City Council on Wednesday approved the construction contract for the construction of an anaerobic digester at the wastewater treatment plant of the Dutch Public Works Council.
The digester will decompose the solids remaining after the wastewater treatment process, reducing the amount of solids that the factory needs to process and produce biogas. Biogas is a fuel that can be used to heat or generate electricity for the factory.
The council voted to award a construction contract worth US$29.3 million to Davis Construction, headquartered in Grand Rapids, with a contingency cost of US$1.8 million. The engineering cost of the project is US$2.6 million, bringing the total amount of the project to US$33.7 million.
HBPW has set aside $32 million for the project. The council approved a transfer of $1.7 million to cover the remaining costs.
The contract depends on a successful financial transaction between HBPW and the Clean Water State Revolving Fund of the Michigan Department of Environment, the Great Lakes Region and the Department of Energy.
If the project is approved by the state government, the state government will purchase $30 million in bonds issued by HBPW and provide a 2% interest rate for bond payments.
HBPW has received $4.6 million in principal relief from EGLE’s Green Project Reserve loan.
Bond obligations are distributed between HBPW and Holland Township, which also uses water recycling facilities.
The $3.7 million not covered by the bond will come from the replacement funds for wastewater equipment.
HBPW general manager Dave Koster told the council that in the long run, as the cost of biosolids disposal continues to rise, the project will save money.
He said that as landfills have increased their fees and reduced the amount of biosolids they accept, solids treatment in wastewater treatment plants has become increasingly difficult.
The City of Holland is forming a strategic development team to review the Dutch community energy plan and set new short-term goals for the plan, which outlines the Dutch goal of reducing carbon emissions by 2050.
Mayor Nathan Bocks appointed members of the strategic development team as board members Nicki Arendshorst and Scott Corbin, HBPW board members Tim Hemingway and PJ Thompson, and community members Travis Williams, Brian Pageau and Boyd Feltman.
Community members have been calling on the City Council to review the Community Energy Plan during the public comment period and in the letter to the Sentinel. Conducting this review is one of the board’s top tasks in 2020.
After city councillor Dave Hoekstra proposed a motion to include it on the upcoming agenda, the city council will also discuss the future of community energy plans at a research meeting.
—Contact reporter Carolyn Muyskens at cmuyskens@hollandsentinel.com and follow her on Twitter at @cjmuyskens.
Post time: Apr-26-2021