ST. JOSEPH, MO -
A city dump will soon be a source of electricity that could provide power for up to 1,000 homes. Landfills all across the country have to deal with methane gas, a greenhouse gas that's bad for the ozone. Now St. Joseph's landfill is turning a problem into alternative energy
The landfill in St. Joseph, Missouri has entered into an agreement to develop a system that will turn the gas generated by the landfill into energy.
Truck after truck has been bringing waste into the St Joseph landfill since 1974. When the landfill is packed full, workers drill a hole and insert wells that collect methane gas.
Right now that gas is burned off, but this project would change that.
"This pipe leads back to a engine that uses this methane as fuel," director of St. Joseph Public Works Bruce Woody said.
Right now the landfill has 12 wells. This project will bring that number up to 49 and feed the methane to a generator.
Just like a wind turbine creates electricity, the methane gas is used to turn a turbine and create power for as many as a thousand homes a year
"It's a great green asset we'll have for our customer base," KCP&L District Manager Matt Dority said.
KCP&L said this is its first ever landfill gas to energy project.
"Their strategy and commitment to sustainability and renewable energy aligns with ours and its a way to partner with the communities we serve," Dority said.
According to the EPA's website Landfill Gas to Energy, or LFG, projects are becoming more common in the US. Kansas and Missouri have about 10 LFG projects right now
KCP&L said the St Joseph site was a prime candidate for an LFG project because of it is more than 90 acres and has potential for growth.
"So right now we have 50 to 60 years of capacity left, so we'll be serving the community for quite a while," Woody said.
KCP&L is working with Burns and McDonnell to build the power plant. The city and company plan to have the St. Joseph project up and running sometime in 2011.
The landfill in St. Joseph, Missouri has entered into an agreement to develop a system that will turn the gas generated by the landfill into energy.
Truck after truck has been bringing waste into the St Joseph landfill since 1974. When the landfill is packed full, workers drill a hole and insert wells that collect methane gas.
Right now that gas is burned off, but this project would change that.
"This pipe leads back to a engine that uses this methane as fuel," director of St. Joseph Public Works Bruce Woody said.
Right now the landfill has 12 wells. This project will bring that number up to 49 and feed the methane to a generator.
Just like a wind turbine creates electricity, the methane gas is used to turn a turbine and create power for as many as a thousand homes a year
"It's a great green asset we'll have for our customer base," KCP&L District Manager Matt Dority said.
KCP&L said this is its first ever landfill gas to energy project.
"Their strategy and commitment to sustainability and renewable energy aligns with ours and its a way to partner with the communities we serve," Dority said.
According to the EPA's website Landfill Gas to Energy, or LFG, projects are becoming more common in the US. Kansas and Missouri have about 10 LFG projects right now
KCP&L said the St Joseph site was a prime candidate for an LFG project because of it is more than 90 acres and has potential for growth.
"So right now we have 50 to 60 years of capacity left, so we'll be serving the community for quite a while," Woody said.
KCP&L is working with Burns and McDonnell to build the power plant. The city and company plan to have the St. Joseph project up and running sometime in 2011.
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