Dry Creek Landfill Gas-to-Energy project produces renewable electricity from landfill

Abstract

The Gas-to-Energy Plant at Dry Creek Landfill burns 1500 cubic feet of landfill gas per minute. This produces 3.2 megawatts of renewable energy, creating enough electricity to supply power to more than 3,000 local homes each year. Investing in this technology allows Rogue Waste, Inc. to harness the power of naturally occurring landfill biogas as part of a long-term vision for energy independence.

Investment in gas-to-energy facility powers homes while setting the stage for more renewable energy production

When organic materials break down in a landfill, it creates biogas. At the Dry Creek Landfill, a gas collection system is made up of a network of extraction points known as wells, and the wells are interconnected via pipes. Under vacuum pressure, biogas collected from the well field is transported for combustion at the Gas-to-Energy Plant. Using this renewable energy source, the facility creates enough electricity to power more than 3,000 homes annually. This is the equivalent of 20,000 tons of energy produced by burning coal, with the energy sold to Pacific Corp.

The gas-to-energy facility also creates Green Tags. Each Green Tag is equal to 1,000 kilowatt hours of displaced fossil fuel energy, which Rogue Waste, Inc. sells to into the renewable energy market.

The Dry Creek Landfill Gas-to-Energy Facility was built in 2007 and the program is ongoing.