Courtesy: www.guardian.co.uk
Trash into treasure they call it. In the country’s quest to identify sustainable or unconventional forms of energy, there is a growing movement among engineers to come up with methods that capture valuable methane gas locked in landfills and other waste sites for power.
It’s called Landfill Gas Energy where gas produced by decaying hydrocarbon waste is purified in a central location at the waste site. It is, then, sent to energy producers, such as electricity plants, manufacturers and others.
Last year, the EPA estimated there were 517 landfill energy projects in operation among the 1,800 municipal landfills nationwide. In fact, the EPA is supporting development of waste-to-energy projects with its Landfill Methane Outreach Program. This is a voluntary program where the EPA forms partnerships with communities and landfill operators to capture and purify harmful landfill gas, turning it into affordable energy.
But private industry is also heavily investing in a strategy that many think could play a substantial role in the country’s overall move toward hydrocarbon recycling and sustainability. Waste Management Inc., for example, has been involved in waste-to-energy projects since the 1970s through innovations including its Wheelabrator technology. Other companies, such as Dow Chemical treat waste gas through its SELEXOL solvent system.
But there are new developments potentially in how hydrocarbon waste is recycled. There is belief that new technology requiring no solvents or separation of the gas is the solution. Waste disposal costs may be cut dramatically while harmful pollutants are eliminated.
