In the United States (US), methane abatement solution provider Qnergy Inc. has announced that it has partnered with the Weber County Economic Development office to deploy the first system in Utah (UT) that will convert landfill gas (LFG) into electricity and heat.
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Landfills, both operational and closed, emit methane (CH4) a potent greenhouse gas (GHG) into the atmosphere. According to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) 2021 report, municipal solid waste landfills are responsible for about 14 percent of national methane emissions.
These emissions are managed through intricate piping systems that allow for the capture and venting of methane and other associated landfill gases.
Gases may be vented, flared, or compressed to mitigate emissions; however, these solutions typically do not scale down to smaller landfills, require regular maintenance, and can have high operating costs.
Energy instead of venting
With over 2 000 landfills across the United States, a scalable and reliable solution is essential to eliminate methane emissions. Of the more than 55 landfills in Utah (UT), Weber County has two that are closed, but still emitting methane.
The partnership with Qnergy was formed as a pilot project for transforming otherwise vented methane into usable electricity.
With a proven track record in the oil and gas industry, Qnergy’s PowerGen is a proprietary Free Piston Stirling Engine (FPSE) generator that converts methane from any source, including landfills, into utility-grade electricity.
According to the company, its PowerGen is ideal for remote locations as it has no rotating parts and promises 100 percent methane destruction with minimal maintenance requirements.
Located on the outskirts of Fort Buenaventura Park, the PowerGen unit will utilize LFG to bring electricity to the park while eliminating potent and harmful methane emissions.
The County is thrilled to work with Ogden-based Qnergy on this project. Our goal is to expand these efforts to the other landfills in the county and throughout the state, said Stephanie Russell, Director at Weber County Economic Development.
The Weber County landfill project is expected to officially launch in September 2023.
Qnergy is continuing to deploy generators in hard-to-abate distributed methane sectors, such as closed landfills. The Weber County landfill project is a great opportunity to deploy the technology in the county in which we operate said Ory Zik, CEO of Qnergy.
