Landfill Gas as Fuel for Combined Heat and Power

Abstract

When landfill gas (LFG) is used in combined heat and power(CHP) systems, the bene fits multiply. A CHP project powered by LFGnot only provides significantly better energy efficiency and cost savings,but it also achieves signi ficant environmental bene fits from using a lo-cally produced, biomass fuel.The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Land fill Meth-ane Outreach Program (LMOP) has supported the development of LFGenergy (LFGE) projects for more than a decade. The LMOP encouragesthe development of LFGE projects in several ways. To achieve moreLFG use, the program maintains voluntary partnerships with businesses,communities, and states. The LMOP provides information about LFGEopportunities in the United States and prepares preliminary feasibil-ity studies for land fills and potential LFG users. The LMOP and theLFGE industry have achieved signi ficant reductions in emissions ofgreenhouse gases, because LFG is approximately 50% methane andmethane traps more heat in the atmosphere than carbon dioxide, themost prevalent greenhouse gas. The collection and use of each ton ofLFG methane is equivalent to the reduction of over 20 tons of carbondioxide emissions.The LMOP maintains a land fill and LFGE project database (LMOPdatabase), which classifies 16 LFGE projects as CHP. These projects rangefrom a 120 kilowatt (kW) microturbine installation to a 12 megawatt(MW) cogeneration plantCHP LFGE projects can create additional environmental bene fitsby offsetting fossil-fuel-based electricity and steam or heating demands with a renewable fuel. In 2007, the existing CHP projects fueled by LFGwill result in greenhouse gas reductions equivalent to preventing the useof approximately 1.3 million barrels of oil.In addition, using the waste heat from LFG- fired generators in aCHP configuration can improve project financial results by as much as100%, increasing the feasibility of developing LFGE projects. LMOP of-fers real-world project experience and tools to overcome the barriers inCHP LFGE project development.