Wastewater treatment plants typically require significant energy consumption to meet discharge permit requirements, which results in high energy costs. In an effort to reduce those costs, a large NJ-based treatment plant adopted a cogeneration process, whereby they used methane gas produced by the sewage, rather than fossil fuels, to produce energy.

When their 2-megawatt generator failed due to a faulty gearbox, they could not properly convert the methane gas into energy, which led to a spike in energy costs. They enlisted the help of the experts at Longo to remove and overhaul the critical piece of equipment.

The Longo emergency response team took swift action to develop a Job Safety Analysis, arrange trucking and secure the required manpower to resolve the issue. They then removed the gearbox, diagnosed the problem, repaired it, reinstalled it and tested it—all on a round-the-clock basis.

With a properly functioning gearbox in place, the customer got their 2-megawatt generator back up and running quickly—in time for the high-demand electricity months when power costs can create a significant financial burden.