As far as I am concerned, the two biggest problems facing humanity are kicking our addiction to oil, and figuring out a way to get rid of all our garbage without stuffing it into big, endless holes in the ground.
Wouldn’t it be great if we could kill two birds with one stone? One day, we might be able to, but for now at least one company is working on a way to fix their fuel woes within the confines of their own business.
Waste Management, one of the biggest garbage companies in the country, says it will be able to produce 13,000 gallons of liquefied natural gas (LNG) daily from just one landfill in Northern California.
In my mind the rather worn down, but still relevant and succinct phrase, “reduce, reuse, recycle” has many meanings. Capturing the naturally-occurring methane, converting it to LNG, and using it in Waste Management’s fleet of alt-fuel trucks is a great idea. Cranking out 13,000 gallons daily would produce an annual yield of about 4 million gallons, enough to run 300 LNG trucks all year (WM has about 425 such trucks operating in California right now).
They also claim this will result in 30,000 fewer tons of greenhouse gases going into the atmosphere. Similar plants are used to power their facilities and return power to energy grid as well, but this is the largest landfill fuel plant in existence.
Waste Management partnered with a German company named Linde to build the fuel plant at the Altamont Landfill, which opened back in 1988. Since opening in September, the LNG plant has produced about 200,000 gallons of LNG. Methane occurs as a natural part of the decomposing process, and is actually a major contributor to global warming. So, by all means, install these kinds of plants in landfills nationwide.
This would be a great use of an old landfill too, as Altamont is nearing its 15 million ton capacity. San Francisco, hippie capital of the world, cranks out 500,000 tons of garbage every year, most of which winds up at Altamont. At the current rate, Altamont could be filled as soon as 2014. Rather than leave it as bulging stinky cist on the fact of the planet, Waste Management could at least siphon some fuel for themselves.
Also I think it is fair to point out that San Francisco has reduced their waste output by 10% from 2007 to 2008 (520,000 tons to 467,000 tons) through composting and recycling initiatives. Alas, the rest of California still produced another 92.5 million tons of waste in 2008, and all that garbage has to go somewhere. Until we figure out a way to get rid of garbage that doesn’t involve digging a hole in the ground and dumping it there, we might as well get something out of it, right?
Source: Green Car Advisor | San Francisco Examiner | LA Times | Waste Management
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Many landfills burn the methane to produce electricity. (methane runs in diesel engines and generators with very little modification).
http://www.countyofdane.com/pwht/recycling.aspx (look in the middle of the page, under Landfill Gas-to-Energy Systems )
They have been generating about a half Megawatt of power for many years, and sell it to the local power utility. The PDF and powerpoint have a ton of information about how it is working for them, and the costs and benefits.
Many landfills burn the methane to produce electricity. (methane runs in diesel engines and generators with very little modification).
http://www.countyofdane.com/pwht/recycling.aspx (look in the middle of the page, under Landfill Gas-to-Energy Systems )
They have been generating about a half Megawatt of power for many years, and sell it to the local power utility. The PDF and powerpoint have a ton of information about how it is working for them, and the costs and benefits.
The low freezing temp of the mostly methane -162C and some ethane -69C means liquefying them to LNG uses up a good portion like 75% of the available energy.
Just using methane to generate electricity at say 30% efficiency is a bit better.
IMO its most efficient to use the methane for cogen of electricity and provide district heat for facility or any very local municipal buildings.
The low freezing temp of the mostly methane -162C and some ethane -69C means liquefying them to LNG uses up a good portion like 75% of the available energy.
Just using methane to generate electricity at say 30% efficiency is a bit better.
IMO its most efficient to use the methane for cogen of electricity and provide district heat for facility or any very local municipal buildings.
I rather expect that the engineers at Waste Management have full access to the costs and benefits of their operation. Since Waste Management is NOT a government run operation I would bet that they are getting the most efficient use of the product that they are using for fuel, with efficiency being measured in that nasty word PROFIT.
I rather expect that the engineers at Waste Management have full access to the costs and benefits of their operation. Since Waste Management is NOT a government run operation I would bet that they are getting the most efficient use of the product that they are using for fuel, with efficiency being measured in that nasty word PROFIT.
We have spent centuries understanding the production cycle, yet relatively little time examining the disposal side of the equation.
We do need to minimize the volumes of waste entering landfills, but equally as important is taking advantage of the natural decomposition process!
We have spent centuries understanding the production cycle, yet relatively little time examining the disposal side of the equation.
We do need to minimize the volumes of waste entering landfills, but equally as important is taking advantage of the natural decomposition process!
Problem is, Global Patriot, there’s not much solid waste in a landfill that will decompose, even in a century or two.
As the article states: Wouldn’t it be great if we could kill two birds with one stone?
Cities and towns with aging landfill operations are faced with a huge dilemma and an emerging opportunity to do the right thing with their solid waste: turn it into clean, green bioenergy and keep the dollars earned in their own communities.
That one waste company (who usually owns the landfills) is monetizing the gas is nothing more than harvesting the low-hanging fruit of landfill gases. Big deal. It does nothing to reduce trash volumes or convert solid waste to clean green energy.
We have yet to apply “production thinking” to the disposal side of the equation beyond incineration and electrical power generation. Mining methane from landfill leachates is a side business for Waste Management and yet another sign of America’s failure to act in its own best interests where the environment and the national economy are concerned.
If you really think about it, and we are, there really should be no overflowing, gas-belching landfills in America! With today’s gasifiers and gas to liquid fuels tech, perhaps that vision will one day become reality.
Problem is, Global Patriot, there’s not much solid waste in a landfill that will decompose, even in a century or two.
As the article states: Wouldn’t it be great if we could kill two birds with one stone?
Cities and towns with aging landfill operations are faced with a huge dilemma and an emerging opportunity to do the right thing with their solid waste: turn it into clean, green bioenergy and keep the dollars earned in their own communities.
That one waste company (who usually owns the landfills) is monetizing the gas is nothing more than harvesting the low-hanging fruit of landfill gases. Big deal. It does nothing to reduce trash volumes or convert solid waste to clean green energy.
We have yet to apply “production thinking” to the disposal side of the equation beyond incineration and electrical power generation. Mining methane from landfill leachates is a side business for Waste Management and yet another sign of America’s failure to act in its own best interests where the environment and the national economy are concerned.
If you really think about it, and we are, there really should be no overflowing, gas-belching landfills in America! With today’s gasifiers and gas to liquid fuels tech, perhaps that vision will one day become reality.