The Project: LFGTE System Design
📍Confidential
The Challenge
Provide landfill gas-to-energy (LFGTE) system design and construction support services for a 500-foot LFG pipeline from an existing enclosed flare to a 10 MW landfill gas-to-energy (LFGTE) plant. The designed system capacity was 4,200 standard cubic feet per minute (scfm). The overall project investment, including the plant, was $9.2 million US.
The Solution
The project included design of an 18-inch diameter HDPE pipeline, a 12-inch diameter gas return line from the plant to the existing flare system; a condensate management system comprised of two (2) condensate pumping stations and one (1) in-line knock-out tank; system modifications to the existing gas collection and control system, and the design of control system integration with the existing flare.
In addition, EARTHRES prepared a bid package including construction specifications, bid and contract documents, and then performed construction quality assurance (CQA) and provided engineering support during installation. Finally, EARTHRES prepared an engineering certification report documenting the installation and startup of the LFG system.
EARTHRES also provided planning and permitting of the 10 MW LFGTE facility. Work for the facility included a layout of the building, geotechnical evaluation, and preparation of air quality and solid waste permit applications. The plant is operated by a non-profit corporation with proceeds from the sale of electricity going to surrounding communities.
This project was awarded the “Project of the Year” by the U.S. EPA Landfill Methane Outreach Program (LMOP).
The Results
The environmental benefits of this award-winning LFGTE project include:
▪️ Carbon sequestered annually by 11,200 acres of pine or fir forests, annual greenhouse gas emissions from 9,000 passenger vehicles, or carbon dioxide emissions from 114,300 barrels of oil consumed.
▪️ Annual energy savings equate to powering 6,300 homes.
▪️ Estimated emissions reductions of 0.0134 million metric tons of carbon equivalents.