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WASTE MANAGEMENT INC.

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K.G. landfill turning methane into electricity

King George Landfill breaks ground for power plant that will turn methane gas into electricity

Date published: 8/6/2009

The cycle begins with the collection of residential and commercial waste. The waste is then transported to Waste Management landfills for permanent disposal. Much of this waste, including food, paper and cardboard, is organic in nature. Bacteria digest this organic waste and produce methane gas and carbon dioxide as natural byproducts.

The methane gas is recovered via a series of wells drilled into the landfill. These wells are connected by a common pipe system that collects the gas and transports it to a nearby compression facility.

At the compression facility, the landfill gas is de-watered, filtered and pressurized. The gas is piped to an electricity generating plant, on- or off-site, where it is used as fuel to turn engines or turbines to generate electricity. Landfill gas may also be piped offsite to industrial customers for use as an alternative fuel source. To complete the cycle, the electricity is delivered via utility transmission lines to residential and commercial customers.


WHAT: A power plant that runs 24 hours a day and converts methane gas, produced by trash, into electricity to power homes WHERE: King George landfill

WHEN: Site work starts this week, plant should be operating by spring.

WHO OWNS IT? Waste Management Inc., the company that operates the landfill

COST TO BUILD: $12.4 million

OTHERS LIKE IT? This is the company's sixth such plant in Virginia. Others are in Suffolk, Hampton and the counties of Amelia, Charles City and Gloucester. The Stafford-Fredericksburg regional landfill and Fauquier County landfill also have methane power plants.

THE LARGEST: Other plants in Virginia generate 5 to 7 megawatts of electricity. The King George plant will produce 9.8 megawatts of electricity when it opens. It will start with three turbines and is approved to add a fourth, if needed.

--Waste Management Inc.


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Date published: 8/6/2009


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Nothing new..... (posted by Jazzercisemom , Aug. 7, 2009 9:24 am)   
Stafford County landfill has been doing this for years....

If they could only collect (posted by Mandrake , Aug. 6, 2009 8:43 am)   
the hot air produced by politicians then we could reduce our dependence on foreign oil by 50%.

I think that's part of it (posted by dmine45 , Aug. 6, 2009 5:56 am)   
In some places where they don't have generators, they burn the methane to get rid of it. I agree with you, the smell at times can be pretty bad. I hope this will cut down on the smell.

You can smell the landfill (posted by flowernurse , Aug. 6, 2009 3:04 am)   
in over half of the county. Will this plant help with the odor?

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