City of Manassas Installs Regenerative Exhaust Filters

Utility Connection - February 2006

The Virginia Municipal Electric Association (VMEA), a seven-member purchase power group including the City of Manassas, has installed the first of 16 exhaust filters at the VMEA Generation Plant located at 9898 Godwin Drive.

The filter installation is the result of a two-year study conducted by Aegis Environmental, of Richmond, Virginia, to reduce the visible emissions (smoke) from the plant’s 16 diesel electric generators.

The regenerative exhaust filters are being purchased from CleanAIR Systems, Inc. of Santa Fe, New Mexico. The CleanAIR filters aid in burning excess particulate matter that is produced by the plant, reducing smoke and increasing visibility. The filters also convert any pollutants into harmless carbon dioxide while significantly reducing any contributions to smog or ozone.

The City of Manassas Utility Department has made environmental concerns a top priority, along with the safety of employees and the customers we serve. Taking action after careful study will also save power costs.

Brett Massey, the City’s Energy Services Manager, stated that “we are exceptionally pleased with the first filter that was installed in November 2005. The test results are showing about a 90 percent reduction in visible emissions.”

The overall cost of the project to VMEA members is approximately $1.1 million. The City of Manassas’ share of that cost will be $420,000.

The generation plant is run during peak electric demand times, which in turn reduces the City’s electrical demand and saves the City approximately $1.7 million per year, through our purchased power agreement.