Linde and Waste Management receive California Governor’s award for landfill gas to LNG facility
16 November 2010
The world’s largest biofuel plant producing liquid natural gas from landfill gas has received a 2010 California Governor’s Environmental and Economic Leadership Award.
Recognized in the category of Sustainable Facility, the plant is located at Waste Management’s Altamont Landfill and Resource Recovery Facility near Livermore, California. The plant, which produces up to 13,000 gallons a day of near zero carbon fuel, is owned and operated by a joint venture between Linde North America, part of The Linde Group, and Waste Management, North America’s largest waste management company.
The award recognizes exceptional leadership in conserving California’s resources, protecting and enhancing the environment, building public-private partnerships and strengthening the state’s economy.
Since Linde and Waste Management’s plant began operating in September 2009, it has produced more than two million gallons of renewable fuel from landfill gas generated through the decomposition of waste at the Altamont Landfill. More than 300 of Waste Management’s liquid natural gas collection vehicles in California are powered daily by the fuel generated at the Altamont facility, displacing tens of thousands of tons of vehicular greenhouse gas emissions annually.
We are closing the loop in the waste disposal business. Our natural gas collection vehicles produce 97 percent fewer greenhouse gas emissions than comparable diesel fuel vehicles. Creating a healthier environment through reduced emissions and improved air quality is the essence of green innovation. Waste Management is proud to be recognized for this achievement.
—Duane Woods, senior vice president for Waste Management’s Western Group
By displacing 2.5 million gallons of diesel a year, the renewable biogas from the plant eliminates more than 30,000 tons a year of transportation greenhouse gases. NOx is reduced by nearly 200 tons and particulate matter emissions by more than four tons a year.
Four California agencies contributed to this project, including the California Integrated Waste Management Board, the California Air Resources Board, the California Energy Commission and the South Coast Air Quality Management District.
Using the gas slowly coming out of the landfill is one thing.
Converting the incoming MSW to energy and a stable residue immediately would be much better. We wouldn't have to wait 20 years after closure of a cell to get the energy and let the waste settle so the surface can be re-used.
Posted by: Engineer-Poet | 16 November 2010 at 02:37 PM
Unfortunately WM has a very checkered history.
Posted by: Reel$$ | 16 November 2010 at 08:22 PM
I could see running trash and transport trucks on LNG. Anything that has a fixed route that you can count on is a candidate. LNG needs to be used after filling or it will boil off. Ships at sea, trucks on roads, railroads or anything that will use it immediately with a route that will use the fuel now are candidates.
Posted by: SJC | 17 November 2010 at 11:51 AM
If there are enough tanks it can be changed to compressed natural gas. Refrigerator systems can be made to avoid boil off. The gas is not anywhere near zero carbon it was very expensive to produce and transport the materials put into the landfill. The carbon containing materials should be removed before putting into the fill and processed into fuel at that time. How much energy relative to the energy content is needed to make liquid methane from gas. ..HG..
Posted by: Henry Gibson | 20 November 2010 at 11:21 PM