Greentree Landfill, Kersey, Pennsylvania
Challenge
Develop a landfill gas to high-BTU energy program at Veolia ES Greentree Landfill to provide a clean energy source that reduces the local community's dependence on fossil fuels.
Veolia Solution
Veolia ES Greentree Landfill, in partnership with Beacon Landfill Gas Holding, a subsidiary of enXco Inc., and American Landfill Gas, has developed a landfill gas-to-energy project that processes approximately 10,500 cubic feet-per-minute of landfill gas (which is approximately 50% methane) into high BTU gas. This project is one of the largest landfill gas-to-high BTU operations in the United States.
The landfill gas from Greentree Landfill is piped to an innovative gas cleaning plant for processing into a high BTU gas stream. The plant incorporates Air Liquide's proprietary membrane technology, along with a PSA system, to remove carbon dioxide, oxygen and nitrogen from the raw landfill gas, resulting in the production of nearly pure methane gas.The carbon dioxide and volatile organic compounds (VOCs) removed from the raw landfill gas are thermally destroyed in an enclosed flare.
The high BTU gas is piped seven miles underground to National Fuel's interstate natural gas pipeline. Approximately 2 billion cubic feet of purified methane is delivered into the pipeline annually, resulting in enough energy to heat about 75,000 residents' homes and reduce greenhouse gas emissions equivalent to 116,831 tons of carbon dioxide each year - comparable to planting 277,243 acres of forest or preventing the use of over 2.3 million gallons of gasoline.
Benefits
The project is an exemplary model of efficiently providing clean, renewable energy from local and otherwise unused resources. Many companies, agencies and individuals are responsible for providing the necessary cooperation and focus to make this project a success. This project provides a clean source of energy for the local community and reduces the nation's dependence on non-renewable energy sources, and at the same time aids in securing an unpolluted, healthier environment for future generations.