Email
Print
Iredell landfill system set to break 10,000 megawatt hours
Regan Hill photo
Two massive engines housed at the Iredell County Landfill are producing enough energy to provide power to more than 3,000 homes.
ADVERTISEMENT
Published: December 4, 2008
The methane gas generated from last year's trash is speeding up the production of Iredell Transmission's power plant at the Iredell County Solid Waste facility.
DTE Biomass Energy, the parent company of Iredell Transmission, expects the plant's two Caterpillar engines to produce their 10,000th megawatt hour sometime later this month.
"We've been running pretty good," Site Manager Jeff Johnson said. "It was a challenge, but things just fell in the right place."
The two 1.6-megawatt engines turn methane gas produced by the landfill into electricity. The transmission site's production has been ahead of schedule since it opened in August. Johnson said the 3.2-megawatt plant was originally supposed to start production in December.
In order to collect more gas, DTE upgraded the landfill's well field and installed additional collection sites.
The plant generates enough electricity to power more than 3,000 homes. The electricity is sold to EnergyUnited for distribution to its customers.
Iredell County Solid Waste Director David Lambert said the project has been successful so far. There is a growing demand for green energy, he said.
"This project is another example of converting methane — one of the most harmful greenhouse gases – into a product that will help serve the energy needs of North Carolina in a safe, environmentally responsible way," Mark Cousino, DTE Biomass Energy president, said in a news release.
DTE Biomass Energy has nearly 25 projects, including four in North Carolina, across the country that convert landfill gas into some form of useable energy.
According to the company, DTE has collected more than 300 billion cubic feet of landfill gas since 2005.
Email
Print
ADVERTISEMENT
Advertisement
