What does "Total FOG Solutions® as a Service" mean?

Total FOG Solutions® is a platform the incorporates FOG management technology that mitigates pipe blockages in the collection system and a FOG-To-Biodiesel micro-refinery that is collocated onsite to produce low-carbon-intensity biofuel from a waste stream that typically represents a significant O&M cost for operators. ‘Total FOG Solutions® as a Service’ is a turnkey solution through which operators hand over the entire management of FOG to REA under a long-term operating contract or energy savings performance contract (ESPC).

We understand you offer various options for how to deliver an REA Total FOG Solutions® project. How does a public-private partnership (P3) work?

A public-private partnership (P3) is a collaboration between government and private entities to fund, build, and operate projects such as wastewater infrastructure. The government provides oversight and often some funding, while the private partner contributes investment, expertise, and management. Both share risks and rewards based on the agreement. Oftentimes, it provides a public utility an opportunity to develop a project for which it does not have the capital to undertake.

How would our wastewater treatment plant go about assessing the appropriate size of an REA FOG-to-biodiesel project?

To successfully assess the size of a Total FOG Solutions® project, which incorporates a FOG-To-Biodiesel micro-refinery, you would have to conduct a preliminary study of the trap grease volumes that exist in a certain radius of your wastewater treatment plant. Surveying grease haulers in the region is a good starting point, to understand the unmet demand for increased dumping capacity addressed by your prospective project. Engaging other wastewater treatment plants in the region is prudent, as they collectively can represent a generous volume of grease they can divert to your project.

Is there a minimum project size for your Total FOG Solutions® platform?

Yes, but it depends on a few different factors that vary across the country. Before we can provide a definitive answer, we would need to understand the daily flow of your plant, its scum-grease concentration, available volume of trucked-in trap grease from grease haulers and potentially from surrounding wastewater treatment plants.

What is the typical footprint for a Total FOG Solutions® project?

The footprint for a Total FOG Solutions® project depends on the productin capacity of the FOG-To-Biodiesel micro-refinery. For example, a project that can process one million gallons of decanted brown grease annually will have a footprint of approximately 225,000 square feet. This includes land necessary for a FOG receiving station to handle a FOG volume of 33 million gallons per year.

We have an existing FOG receiving station. Does your Total FOG Solutions® platform require a new FOG receving station?

Our Total FOG Solutions® platform does not require a new FOG receiving station, provided it adequately addresses the available volume of trap grease in the region. Our projects commence with a feasibility study, which quantifies this volume and informs the decision.

We already generate revenue from tipping fees at our FOG receiving station. How is this existing revenue and any new revenue handled after a Total FOG Solutions® project is commissioned?

The revenue generated from a Total FOG Solutions® project is handled according the terms of an agreement. This agreement will differ, based on our clients’ preferred project-delivery method — design/build, public-private partnership (P3), Total FOG Solutinos® as a Service, or energy savings performance contract (ESPC).

We're intrigued by the concept of your waste-to-energy technology, but we're not interested in operating a biodiesel production facility. How can we collaborate to implement this technology without making such an operational commitment?

For operators not interested in operating a FOG-To-Biodiesel micro-refinery, we offer various project-delivery options that faciliate the implementation of our Total FOG Solutions® platform without any operational commitment on the part of the operator.

Can we purchase your grease recovery technology for our collection system independently of your FOG-to-biodiesel system?

Yes. REA will work with you to develop the best Total FOG Solution for your situation. In some cases that will involve biodiesel production, but in other cases, anaerobic digestion and electric power generation may be preferable to fuel production

How is the sale of the biodiesel produced onsite managed?

No matter the project-delivery method, we will faciliate the sale of the biodiesel produced onsite. As a means to produce the lowest possible carbon-intensity biodiesel, we will help secure a local buyer. This purchase will be formalized through a long-term off-take agreement to ensure the vability of the project.

Total FOG Solutions^® Platform:

Resource Recovery Technology for Wastewater Treatment Plants

FOG (fats, oils, grease) – also known as brown grease – is a pain point for wastewater treatment plant operators that REA Resource Recovery Systems can effectively alleviate with its Total FOG Solutions^® platform.

It has been designed to optimize resource recovery in a holistic manner. It mitigates equipment failure and pipe blockages in the collection system, bolsters municipal FOG programs, solves the need for increased dumping capacity for grease haulers, addresses forthcoming regulation to eliminate the landfilling and incineration of FOG, and helps achieve energy neutrality by producing low-carbon-intensity biodiesel onsite from a waste stream that currently represents a significant O&M cost.

Move closer to energy neutrality with REA’s Total FOG Solutions^®

The platform incorporates grease-recovery units for the collection system, a FOG receiving station and a FOG-To-Biodiesel micro-refinery that is collocated onsite – right where FOG typically ends its journey. By converting FOG to biodiesel, wastewater treatment plant operators can implement a robust resource recovery process from a waste stream that currently creates a meaningful cost for them.

Reduce pipe blockages
in the collection system.

Billions of gallons of FOG are discharged into collection systems annually, causing large-scale problems such as pipe blockages that lead to sanitary sewer overflows. REA’s FOG Management System incorporates proprietary grease-recovery units that divert and capture FOG in the collection system, upstream from chronically troubled areas, driving down O&M costs attributed to FOG.

Bolster municipal FOG programs and solve the need for more dumping capacity for grease haulers.

Municipalities have implemented FOG programs to mitigate problems in their collection systems attributed to grease. Meanwhile, grease haulers – who are key to these FOG programs – have virtually run out of facilities to dump their loads. Many are driving over 100 miles to dispose of grease-trap waste, significantly cutting their operational efficiency while increasing their carbon emissions.

Wastewater treatment plants are challenged in finding solutions for the grease-hauling industry (and for their own FOG programs) because they simply don’t have the capacity to process any more grease than they currently do, or they’re not interested in stressing their treatment trains with hauled-in grease. REA’s Total FOG Solutions® solves this problem for both municipalities and grease haulers in a pragmatic and profitable manner.

Address regulations that eliminate the incineration and landfilling of FOG.

State environmental-protection agencies are seeking to eliminate the incineration and landfilling of FOG. Wastewater treatment plant operators can implement REA’s Total FOG Solutions® platform to address this forthcoming regulation. In doing so, operators can mitigate costs associated with managing, treating and disposing of FOG, while simultaneously diminishing the harmful environmental impact of this waste stream.

Optimize digester performance and energy production.

FOG is commonly mixed with sludge and utilized as a substrate in anaerobic digesters to catalyze solids volume reduction and biogas production. Replacing FOG with glycerin – a byproduct of biodiesel production – can substantially increase both solids volume reduction and biogas production. With Rea’s Total FOG Solutions®, more energy (and value) can be produced with brown grease that would have otherwise been fed to digesters, thus helping wastewater treatment plants achieve energy neutrality.

A resource Recovery Solution that’s Non-invasive to Plant Operations

A micro-refinery to convert brown grease into low carbon-intensity biodiesel onsite.

Not all biodiesel is created equal. The great majority of biodiesel is produced from used cooking oils. This conventional biodiesel, as we’ll call it, is commonly produced from used cooking oils and virgin oils (palm oil, etc.) commonly shipped from Asia. As you might imagine, this practice isn’t truly sustainable. In fact, the carbon intensity (CI) score for conventional biodiesel is relatively high (30 gCO2e/MJ) when compared to REA’s biodiesel produced from brown grease that’s extracted from local wastewater (less than 10 gCO2e/MJ). Why does REA’s biodiesel have such a low CI score? Because it’s biodiesel is produced from a waste stream that’s commonly landfilled or incinerated, is produced onsite where grease typically ends its journey, and because REA secures buyers that are in close proximity to where its biodiesel produced. This puts REA in a position to help fleet operators with a novel solution and a sustainability story that cannot be found elsewhere.

01

A first chemical transformation is an esterification reaction that combines free fatty acids with methanol to produce biodiesel and water.

03

One proprietary separation process efficiently removes water and contaminants during the esterification process, then converts free fatty acids to biodiesel.

02

A second chemical reaction uses a patented transesterification reactor to combine triglycerides with methanol to produce biodiesel and glycerin.

04

Another proprietary separation process reduces sulfur contamination to levels less than 15ppm required in the US and 10ppm required in the EU.

REA’s patented and proprietary technology utilizes chemical reactions and separation processes to produce low-carbon-intensity biodiesel that meets the ASTM D6751 fuel standard. Producing high-quality biodiesel also relies on proprietary distillation processes to remove a multitude of contaminants found in brown grease.

01

A first chemical transformation is an esterification reaction that combines free fatty acids with methanol to produce biodiesel and water.

02

A second chemical reaction uses a patented transesterification reactor to combine triglycerides with methanol to produce biodiesel and glycerin.

03

One proprietary separation process efficiently removes water and contaminants during the esterification process, then converts free fatty acids to biodiesel.

04

Another proprietary separation process reduces sulfur contamination to levels less than 15ppm required in the US and 10ppm required in the EU.

REA’s patented and proprietary technology utilizes chemical reactions and separation processes to produce low-carbon-intensity biodiesel that meets the ASTM D6751 fuel standard. Producing high-quality biodiesel also relies on proprietary distillation processes to remove a multitude of contaminants found in brown grease.

REA Resource Recovery Systems offers flexible project delivery options.

REA is agnostic to how projects are delivered. Together with its strategic partners, REA can deliver projects to meet the financial and operational needs of municipal wastewater treatment operators. Flexible delivery options include design-build, Total FOG Solutions® as a Service, energy savings performance contracts (ESPC), and public-private-partnerships (P3).

What can REA’s Total FOG Solutions^® do for your wastewater treatment plant?

Optimize resource recovery efforts
Help achieve energy neutrality
Reduce O&M costs attributed to FOG
Mitigate sewer-line blockages and sanitary sewer overflows
Address Forthcoming Regulation to Eliminate Incineration and Landfilling of FOG
Increase FOG processing capacity to bolster municipal FOG programs
Solve the need for more dumping capacity for grease haulers
Create a new revenue stream
Support ESG goals of municipality

In Addition…

Installation and operation of system is non-invasive to plant operations
Operates cooperatively with digesters to optimize solids volume reduction and biogas production
Requires a relatively small footprint
Operates in an automated and continuous-flow manner
Requires minimal staffing
Flexible delivery options include design-build, Total FOG Solutions® as a Service, energy savings performance contract (ESPC), and public-private-partnership (P3)

REA Resource Recovery Systems in the News

REA has expanded its business into the European market via the creation of a wholly owned Irish subsidiary company, REA Resource Recovery Systems Limited. The company is based in Dublin, Ireland and is being headed by Edgar Baroz, an expert in the treatment of FOG and other waste streams through anaerobic digestion.

We are pleased to announce the Danbury FOG-to-biodiesel plant is fully operational and is converting up to 700,000 gallons of fats, oils, grease into up to 14,000 gallons of ASTM D6751 compliant biodiesel fuel each month. The facility at the John Oliver Wastewater treatment plant in Danbury, CT will be officially turned over to Veolia North America and the City of Danbury on July 1, 2025.

REA Breaks Ground at Danbury WWTP

REA Resource Recovery Systems officially broke ground on its first commercial contract at the John Oliver Memorial Sewer Plant in Danbury, Connecticut. The project is part of a $100 million modernization being developed by Veolia North America.

REA’s technology diverts and captures FOG, converting this (brown grease) waste onsite — in an automated and continuous-flow system — into premium-grade biodiesel that Danbury will utilize to fuel its municipal fleet. According to life-cycle analysis completed by Argonne National Laboratory, emissions for B100 biodiesel are 74% lower than those from petroleum diesel. The California Air Resources Board also has reported similar values for its life-cycle analysis of biodiesel from various sources.

The surplus of biodiesel Danbury will produce will be sold on the open market to shorten the payback period of its investment in the REA FOG-To-Biodiesel system. The ROI is compelling, with an average payback period of only 5 years.

Once commissioned later this year, Danbury will eliminate the need and cost associated with disposing FOG into landfills and incinerators, and contribute to environmental-stewardship and decarbonization mandates that have become central to public policy.

REA Contracted by Veolia for Danbury Project

REA to provide expertise in the design of a FOG receiving facility and the installation of a 250,000 GPY FOG-To-Biodiesel system.

REA Secures Contract with City of Danbury, CT

REA to work with Veolia North America to install its first commercial FOG-To-Biodiesel system at the Danbury wastewater treatment plant.

City of Danbury Proceeds with WWTP Upgrades

Danbury to become the first WWTP to convert FOG onsite into biodiesel to fuel its municipal fleets.

REA Launches FOG Awareness Program

REA works with the Hartford MDC to launch a FOG awareness program utilizing UCONN students.

REA Partners with the University of Connecticut

REA integrates current UCONN students into projects, giving them an opportunity to gain valuable first-hand experience in their fields.

New Haven Pilot Project Gets Underway

In partnership with the University of Connecticut and the City of New Haven, REA produces B100 biodiesel used by the City to fuel its fleet.

Congresswoman Rosa DeLauro and New Haven Mayor Tony Harp Tour Pilot Facility

Congresswoman DeLauro and New Haven Mayor Harp discuss REA’s biodiesel demonstration facility.

Governor Malloy Tours New Haven Pilot Facility

Governor Malloy pumps biodiesel produced from wastewater during his tour of REA’s pilot facility at the New Haven wastewater treatment plant.

REA Approaches Completion of Danbury Project

Danbury Mayor, Dean Esposito, showcased REA’s first commercial-scale project to several members of Veolia North America’s management team. Veolia, which operates the John Oliver Memorial Sewer Plant in Danbury, CT, was onsite to tour the FOG-T0-Biodiesel facility in anticipation of its commissioning in January.

Brown grease, in general, is a pain point for wastewater treatment operators that REA can effectively alleviate with its FOG Management platform, which also optimizes resource recovery by incorporating its FOG-To-Biofuel system. By converting waste FOG to biodiesel, REA helps operators create a new revenue stream from waste that otherwise creates a meaningful cost for them.

Frequently Asked Questions

What does "Total FOG Solutions® as a Service" mean?
Total FOG Solutions® is a platform the incorporates FOG management technology that mitigates pipe blockages in the collection system and a FOG-To-Biodiesel micro-refinery that is collocated onsite to produce low-carbon-intensity biofuel from a waste stream that typically represents a significant O&M cost for operators. ‘Total FOG Solutions® as a Service’ is a turnkey solution through which operators hand over the entire management of FOG to REA under a long-term operating contract or energy savings performance contract (ESPC).
We understand you offer various options for how to deliver an REA Total FOG Solutions® project. How does a public-private partnership (P3) work?
A public-private partnership (P3) is a collaboration between government and private entities to fund, build, and operate projects such as wastewater infrastructure. The government provides oversight and often some funding, while the private partner contributes investment, expertise, and management. Both share risks and rewards based on the agreement. Oftentimes, it provides a public utility an opportunity to develop a project for which it does not have the capital to undertake.
How would our wastewater treatment plant go about assessing the appropriate size of an REA FOG-to-biodiesel project?
To successfully assess the size of a Total FOG Solutions® project, which incorporates a FOG-To-Biodiesel micro-refinery, you would have to conduct a preliminary study of the trap grease volumes that exist in a certain radius of your wastewater treatment plant. Surveying grease haulers in the region is a good starting point, to understand the unmet demand for increased dumping capacity addressed by your prospective project. Engaging other wastewater treatment plants in the region is prudent, as they collectively can represent a generous volume of grease they can divert to your project.
Is there a minimum project size for your Total FOG Solutions® platform?
Yes, but it depends on a few different factors that vary across the country. Before we can provide a definitive answer, we would need to understand the daily flow of your plant, its scum-grease concentration, available volume of trucked-in trap grease from grease haulers and potentially from surrounding wastewater treatment plants.
What is the typical footprint for a Total FOG Solutions® project?
The footprint for a Total FOG Solutions® project depends on the productin capacity of the FOG-To-Biodiesel micro-refinery. For example, a project that can process one million gallons of decanted brown grease annually will have a footprint of approximately 225,000 square feet. This includes land necessary for a FOG receiving station to handle a FOG volume of 33 million gallons per year.
We have an existing FOG receiving station. Does your Total FOG Solutions® platform require a new FOG receving station?
Our Total FOG Solutions® platform does not require a new FOG receiving station, provided it adequately addresses the available volume of trap grease in the region. Our projects commence with a feasibility study, which quantifies this volume and informs the decision.
We already generate revenue from tipping fees at our FOG receiving station. How is this existing revenue and any new revenue handled after a Total FOG Solutions® project is commissioned?
The revenue generated from a Total FOG Solutions® project is handled according the terms of an agreement. This agreement will differ, based on our clients’ preferred project-delivery method — design/build, public-private partnership (P3), Total FOG Solutinos® as a Service, or energy savings performance contract (ESPC).
We're intrigued by the concept of your waste-to-energy technology, but we're not interested in operating a biodiesel production facility. How can we collaborate to implement this technology without making such an operational commitment?
For operators not interested in operating a FOG-To-Biodiesel micro-refinery, we offer various project-delivery options that faciliate the implementation of our Total FOG Solutions® platform without any operational commitment on the part of the operator.
Can we purchase your grease recovery technology for our collection system independently of your FOG-to-biodiesel system?
Yes. REA will work with you to develop the best Total FOG Solution for your situation. In some cases that will involve biodiesel production, but in other cases, anaerobic digestion and electric power generation may be preferable to fuel production
How is the sale of the biodiesel produced onsite managed?
No matter the project-delivery method, we will faciliate the sale of the biodiesel produced onsite. As a means to produce the lowest possible carbon-intensity biodiesel, we will help secure a local buyer. This purchase will be formalized through a long-term off-take agreement to ensure the vability of the project.

Main Office

28 Unity Drive

Trumbull, CT 06611

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Total FOG Solutions® Platform:

FOG (fats, oils, grease) – also known as brown grease – is a pain point for wastewater treatment plant operators that REA Resource Recovery Systems can effectively alleviate with its Total FOG Solutions® platform.

Move closer to energy neutrality with REA’s Total FOG Solutions®

Reduce pipe blockages in the collection system.