i
Landfill Methane Outreach Program
and Landfill Gas Energy:
The Power of Partnership
United States
Environmental Protection
Agency
iA.
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THE U.S. ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY'S Landfill Methane Outreach
Program (LMOP) is a voluntary assistance program that reduces greenhouse gas (GHG)
emissions from landfills by encouraging the recovery and beneficial use of landfill gas (LFG)
as an energy resource. LFG contains methane, a potent GHG that can be captured and used to
generate electricity or replace fossil fuels used in manufacturing facilities, vehicles, and more.
Partners and Endorsers join LMOP to gain a greater
understanding of LFG recovery efforts and to build
connections with other interested parties. By joining
LMOP, companies, state agencies, organizations, land-
fills, and communities gain access to a vast network of
industry experts and practitioners, as well as to various
technical and marketing resources that can help with
LFG energy project development.
LMOP Offers Solutions
LMOP facilitates the development of LFG energy proj-
ects by providing hands-on assistance to Partners and
other stakeholders. Offering many tools and extensive
information and experience, LMOP can tailor its assis-
tance to individual landfills and potential LFG end users
to provide customized solutions to project challenges.
LFG emitted from decomposing garbage is a reliable, local, and renewable source
of energy that can provide a variety of environmental and economic benefits. One
of the largest components of LFG is methane, the same energy-producing ingredient
found in natural gas. Methane is also a potent GHG (more than 20 times stronger than
carbon dioxide) with a short atmospheric lifetime, making efforts to reduce methane
emissions an effective way to combat climate change in the near term.
Municipal solid waste landfills are the second largest human-generated source of
methane emissions in the United States. LFG energy projects capture methane emitted
by landfills and destroy it by converting it into energy. The captured methane can be
used in combination with internal combustion engines, turbines, microturbines, or
other technologies to produce electricity. It is also possible to use LFG directly as an
alternative to fossil fuels in equipment such as boilers, heaters, and kilns, or to refine
it for use in vehicles or injection into natural gas pipelines.
By finding cost-effective ways to utilize landfill methane as energy, LMOP is helping
to prevent climate change and air pollution, encourage development of a renewable
energy resource, promote local economic development, and reduce dependence on
fossil fuels.
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Success Stories
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Jcated in Dillsboro, North Carolina, the Jackson
ounty Green Energy Park uses LFG captured
the town's closed landfill as fuel for green-
houses, blacksmithing, glass blowing studios, and
a metal art foundry. Future phases for the energy
park include pottery studios, waste heat recovery,
and anaerobic digesters. The project encourages the
success of new artisans and upon full completion,
will have created 15 to 20 new jobs. With continued
turnover of artisans and increased eco- and
heritage crafts tourism, the project will have
a positive impact on the local economy for years
to come. LMOP helped support development of
the energy park by answering questions about LFG
migration and other technical issues during early
stages of project conceptualization and by facilitat-
ing peer exchange with similar projects. Jackson
County Green Energy Park earned LMOP's 2006
Project of the Year Award for its creative use of LFG.
The annual GHG reduction attributable to this
project is approximately the same as the carbon
sequestered by 1,000 acres of pine or fir forests.
In 2005, the city of Sioux Falls, South Dakota sought
LMOP's help in assessing LFG generation at its
regional landfill and, in turn, identifying a customer
for the LFG. POET Biorefining-Chancellor expressed
interest in using the LFG to help power daily opera-
tions at its 105-million-gallon-per-year ethanol plant.
LMOP helped clarify questions POET had about treat-
ment options for LFG. The project moved forward,
and POET and the city of Sioux Falls worked together
to complete an 11-mile, low-pressure pipeline to
transport LFG from the landfill to a wood waste-fuel
boiler at the plant. Combined, these two alternative
energy sources will initially offset up to 90 percent
of the plant's process steam needs previously met
by natural gas. The reduction of methane and offset
of natural gas emissions provide an environmental
benefit equivalent to the annual GHG emissions from
more than 28,000 passenger vehicles. The city of
Sioux Falls will also benefit from revenue generated
through the sale of LFG and carbon credits that are
associated with destruction of the methane. Annual
net revenues of $1.5 million are expected; once
the capital investment is paid back, the income will
ensure stable tipping fees and also allow for improve-
ments. This self-developed project won a 2009 LMOP
Project of the Year Award.
MOP joined forces with Salt Lake City-area
partners to launch the Salt Lake Valley LFG Energy
Project. DTE Biomass Energy and Landfill Energy
Systems worked cooperatively with Murray City, Utah,
and Murray City Power (MCP) to develop a project
that captures LFG from the Salt Lake Valley Land-
fill. The LFG powers three reciprocating engines to
produce 3 megawatts of electricity—enough to power
more than 2,000 homes in Murray City and offset
fossil fuel emissions equivalent to the carbon dioxide
emissions from 34,000 barrels of oil consumed.
In developing the project, MCP overcame a disap-
pointing initial cost-benefit analysis and other set-
backs by developing a creative time-of-use pricing
mechanism that proved to be a winner for all parties.
The project's power costs parallel daily and seasonal
market pricing, providing pricing and cash flow
advantages to MCP, while achieving financial thresh-
olds for the facility owners over a 10-year contract.
LMOP presented MCP with its 2006 Energy Provider
Partner of the Year Award.
Kimberly-Clark began utilizing LFG at its Beech
Island Facility in May 2008 to produce process
steam. The gas is captured from the Three Rivers
Regional Landfill in Jackson, South Carolina, and sent
to the facility via a nearly 16-mile pipeline. Kimberly-
Clark uses approximately 1,150 cubic feet of LFG per
minute, which replaces 80 percent of the baseline
fuel use in one boiler and saves the company more
than $800,000 annually. The Three Rivers Land-
fill also benefitted from the project by voluntarily
installing a gas collection system, thereby generating
additional revenue from carbon credits. In all, the
project is generating more than $1.6 million annually
for Three Rivers. LMOP contributed significantly to
this project by visiting the landfill early on to discuss
the benefits of having an LFG energy project, search-
ing for potential landfills near many of Kimberly-
Clark's facilities, and performing an initial economic
feasibility assessment for a direct-use project. LMOP
also developed posters for a press event recognizing
the contributions of project partners and highlighting
the environmental benefits of the project. The annual
GHG reduction attributable to this project is approxi-
mately the same as the carbon sequestered annually
by 3,000 acres of pine or fir forests.
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LMOP Assistance and Resources
Project Development Process: To guide project stake-
holders through the development process, LMOP
offers products and services such as:
• Feasibility studies
• Identification of potential end users
• A comprehensive project development handbook
• A national database of operational, under con-
struction, and planned LFG energy projects and
candidate landfills for potential development
• LFGcost-Web, a model that provides reasonable
economic evaluations of potential LFG energy
projects
• An environmental benefits calculator
Financing LFG Energy Projects: Securing funding for
LFG energy projects is often the biggest hurdle to
project development. LMOP helps Partners think
creatively about funding options and find answers
to tough financing questions. LMOP's online, reg-
ularly updated guide to LFG energy project fund-
ing resources provides communities and landfill
owners with easy access to information on relevant
funding sources at the state and federal levels.
Project Marketing: LMOP works with communi-
ties, landfills, government officials, utilities, power
marketers, and developers to increase awareness
and build support for a project. LMOP's outreach
tools for Partners have helped many new projects
articulate the economic and environmental benefits
of LFG energy projects. LMOP can also provide the
necessary tools to plan a ribbon cutting and site tour
or conduct outreach to the media and community.
Regulatory and Market Issues: LMOP tracks and
reports on regulatory and permitting developments,
legislative initiatives, and renewable energy market
developments. LMOP can also help landfills
demonstrate the environmental benefits of LFG
use to the community and regulatory agencies.
Networking and Information: LMOP provides its
Partners with opportunities to network with peers
and LFG energy experts throughout the country. In
addition, LMOP provides:
• Broadcast e-mails to bring Partners the latest
news and information
• An annual conference and awards program
• State workshops
Network of Peers
Through its partnerships, LMOP creates a vital
network of landfills, states, communities, and
companies interested in LFG use:
• State Partners include state air and solid
waste departments, energy and economic
development offices, and state universities.
• Energy Partners include power providers,
marketers, and energy end users.
• Industry Partners include engineering firms,
project developers, consultants, equipment sup-
pliers, and private landfill owners and operators.
• Community Partners include municipal
landfill owners and operators and nonprofit
organizations.
• Endorsers include key industry trade
associations and nonprofit organizations.
EPA invites organizations to partner with LMOP to protect the environment and build a sustain
able energy future. Joining is easy! Visitwww.epa.gov/lmop/join/index.html to find out how.
For more information, visit LMOP's website at www.epa.gov/lmop
LANDFILL METHANE
OUTREACH PROGRAM
EPA430-F-10-012
Office of Air and Radiation (6207J)
www.epa.gov/lmop
June 2010
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