Renewable Natural Gas Electrical Construction & Instrumentation: Proven on Five RNG Facilities
Five Facilities. Documented Uptime Above 99%.
Wikota Electrical Services brings affiliate project experience on five anaerobic digestion renewable natural gas facilities, each delivering documented uptime above 99%. That is not a market positioning claim. It is a project record that RNG developers can verify and that distinguishes Wikota Electrical from general electrical contractors entering the RNG market without direct facility experience.
RNG facilities convert organic waste streams into pipeline-quality biomethane through anaerobic digestion. The electrical and I&C scope spans the digester process controls, gas conditioning and upgrading systems, pipeline interconnect metering packages, and the grid interconnection required to power the facility itself. Each element requires a contractor who understands how the systems interact and what the consequences of an instrumentation or controls failure are for a facility operating under a gas supply agreement with quantified uptime
Anaerobic Digestion Process Electrical and Controls
Digester Electrical Systems
Anaerobic digesters require heating systems to maintain mesophilic or thermophilic operating temperatures, mixing systems to keep feedstock in suspension, and monitoring instrumentation to track the biological process. Electrical scope covers heat exchanger pump motors and controls, digester mixer drive systems, temperature monitoring throughout the digester and heat exchanger circuits, and the site electrical distribution system that powers the process. Classified-area wiring requirements apply in areas where biogas is present at concentrations above the lower explosive limit.
Process Monitoring and Control Instrumentation
The anaerobic digestion process requires continuous monitoring of parameters including digester temperature, pH, volatile fatty acid concentration, and biogas composition. Wikota Electrical installs field instrumentation required for process monitoring including temperature transmitters, gas analyzers for methane and hydrogen sulfide content monitoring, flow meters on biogas collection headers, and the PLC or SCADA system that aggregates process data and manages control outputs. Instrumentation selection accounts for the corrosive nature of biogas and the humid digester environment.
Gas Conditioning Electrical and Instrumentation
Hydrogen Sulfide Removal
Raw biogas contains hydrogen sulfide at concentrations that must be reduced before the gas enters upgrading equipment. H2S removal systems require electrical power for blowers, process monitoring instrumentation for inlet and outlet H2S concentration, and safety instrumentation for H2S leak detection. Wikota Electrical installs electrical and I&C scope for H2S removal systems with the classified-area compliance required for a gas stream at or above LEL concentrations.
Gas Compression and Moisture Removal
Conditioned biogas is compressed before entering the upgrading system. Compression electrical scope includes compressor motor MCC and VFD installation, intercooler and aftercooler instrumentation, compressor suction and discharge pressure and temperature monitoring, and the control system logic managing compressor sequencing and protection. Moisture removal systems require heating and cooling electrical connections and instrumentation monitoring moisture content at the upgrading system inlet.
Upgrading System Electrical and Controls
Biogas upgrading systems remove CO2 from the gas stream to produce biomethane at pipeline quality. Pressure swing adsorption and membrane separation are the most common upgrading technologies in U.S. RNG facilities. Electrical scope covers compressor and vacuum pump drives, control panel installation and integration, and instrumentation monitoring upgrading system performance. I&C scope covers gas chromatograph installation for product quality verification, pressure and flow monitoring throughout the upgrading circuit, and the control system communication interface with the pipeline operator’s quality monitoring system.
Pipeline Interconnect Package
Gas Metering and Custody Transfer
The pipeline interconnect package connects the RNG facility to the gas transmission or distribution system. Electrical and I&C scope covers the metering skid installation including flow computer, ultrasonic or turbine meter, chromatograph, pressure and temperature transmitters, and the data communication interface with the pipeline operator’s measurement system. Custody transfer metering at an RNG interconnect is installed and calibrated to AGA measurement standards, and calibration records are required by the pipeline operator at commissioning.
Interconnect Instrumentation and Safety Systems
Pipeline interconnect safety systems include ESD valves, pressure relief monitoring, and the control logic that isolates the RNG facility from the pipeline in response to a gas quality deviation or overpressure event. Wikota Electrical installs ESD valve actuators, limit switches, and the safety instrumented system logic managing the interconnect isolation function. Functional testing of the ESD system is performed in coordination with the pipeline operator before the interconnect is placed in service.
Grid Interconnection and Facility Electrical Supply
RNG facilities require a utility grid interconnection to power the digester, conditioning, upgrading, and ancillary systems. Utility interconnection scope covers service entrance switchgear, metering, and protection relay installation in coordination with the serving utility. Facility power distribution covers MCCs, VFDs, and distribution panels serving all process electrical loads.
| Electrical Construction | Digester heating and mixing electrical, gas conditioning and compression MCC and VFD installation, upgrading system electrical, pipeline interconnect scope, and grid interconnection. |
|---|---|
| Instrumentation & Controls | Process monitoring instrumentation throughout digestion and conditioning systems, upgrading system I&C, custody transfer metering, ESD systems, and H2S and LEL gas detection. |
| Engineering & Design | Power systems design, classified-area electrical drawings, control system design, and arc-flash analysis through Mid-America Services. |
| Project Delivery | Full EPC coordination with Wikota Design & Construction, construction management, commissioning, pipeline operator coordination, and project visibility. |
| Safety, Quality & Compliance | Classified-area compliance, zero recordable incidents, ISNetworld tracking, and NFPA 70E for all energized work. |
Frequently Asked Questions
An RNG facility's electrical and I&C scope covers five primary systems. The digester system requires electrical power for heating and mixing equipment and instrumentation for temperature, pH, and biogas composition monitoring. The gas conditioning system requires electrical connections for compressors, blowers, and heat exchangers and instrumentation for H2S concentration and moisture content. The upgrading system requires compressor and vacuum pump drives, control panel integration, and gas chromatograph installation. The pipeline interconnect package requires custody transfer metering skid installation and ESD system commissioning. The facility electrical supply system requires utility interconnection, MCCs, and distribution panels for all process loads.
Anaerobic digestion is the biological process by which microorganisms break down organic material in the absence of oxygen, producing biogas. The process requires a controlled temperature environment, continuous mixing to maintain contact between bacteria and feedstock, and monitoring of process parameters indicating biological health. The electrical system supports these requirements through heat exchanger pump motors and controls, mixer drive systems, temperature monitoring instrumentation, and the control system managing process variables and alarms.
A pipeline interconnect package connects the RNG facility's gas outlet to the receiving pipeline. It includes the custody transfer metering skid, which measures the volume and quality of gas delivered, and the ESD system, which isolates the facility from the pipeline in response to a gas quality deviation, overpressure event, or emergency condition. The interconnect package is commissioned in coordination with the pipeline operator, whose measurement standards and functional testing requirements govern the commissioning process.
Direct RNG facility experience means the contractor has already resolved the installation and commissioning challenges specific to anaerobic digestion and biogas systems. Biogas is corrosive, meaning instrumentation materials must be selected for resistance to hydrogen sulfide and moisture. Classified-area compliance applies in multiple zones throughout the facility. The pipeline interconnect commissioning requires coordination with the pipeline operator's measurement team, which has specific documentation and testing requirements. A contractor with five completed RNG facilities has navigated each of these requirements and applies that experience to reduce commissioning risk on the next project.