Republic Services’ latest landfill gas-to-energy project will generate 24.1 megawatts of electricity when at capacity at three Georgia landfills.
The waste management company partnered with Mas Energy on the renewable energy project, which involves capturing methane — a potent greenhouse gas — from the landfills and routing the gas to a series of engines. These engines convert the methane into electricity, which is then distributed to the local power grid.
According to the EPA, 3 MW of renewable energy generated by landfill gas-to-energy projects is equal to preventing the carbon emissions emitted by the use 16.6 million gallons of gasoline. Based upon EPA calculations, this project prevents carbon emissions that would otherwise be emitted by the use of more than 132 million gallons of gasoline.
Landfill owners, utilities, developers and communities can receive project development and financing assistance for landfill gas-to-energy projects through the EPA’s Landfill Methane Outreach Program.
The Georgia landfills are located in the cities of Buford, Griffin and Winder.
In addition to its landfill gas-to-energy projects, Republic Services last month opened an ash metal recovery facility at a Washington landfill. The facility, at Roosevelt Regional Landfill, will recover metals found in ash previously lost through traditional methods of resource recovery.