Renewable energy facility creates revenue for municipality
Berry Mills New Brunswick, Canada
At a glance
Active and aging landfills emit gases into the atmosphere that consist of methane, carbon dioxide, nitrogen and other trace components. Recovering methane from landfills and converting it to a new energy source reduces greenhouse gas emissions and creates revenue for municipalities.
Active and aging landfills emit gases into the atmosphere that consist of methane, carbon dioxide, nitrogen and other trace components.
The challenge
For years, the Southeast Regional Service Commission’s (the Commission) landfill in Berry Mills New Brunswick, Canada, collected and flared landfill gas. The Commission saw an opportunity to create a green energy facility and applied for an embedded generation contract from New Brunswick Power for the installation of a 1.0-megawatt landfill gas-to-energy facility. GHD provided a turnkey solution for the design, supply, construction, and commissioning of the facility. The team was responsible for the detailed civil, structural, mechanical, and electrical design, as well as the construction phase, including health and safety, equipment deliveries, and commissioning.
The modularized facility consists of a gas conditioning skid, engine enclosure, electrical room, outdoor power transformer, and switchgear, and houses a Caterpillar G3516A reciprocating gas engine. The gas conditioning system pre-treats the landfill gas to provide the engine with the ideal gas conditions. The gas engine produces power at 600 volts, which transforms to 12.47 kilovolts, and then connects to the provincial hydro distribution system.
The modularized facility consists of a gas conditioning skid, engine enclosure, electrical room, outdoor power transformer, and switchgear, and houses a Caterpillar G3516A reciprocating gas engine. The gas conditioning system pre-treats the landfill gas to provide the engine with the ideal gas conditions. The gas engine produces power at 600 volts, which transforms to 12.47 kilovolts, and then connects to the provincial hydro distribution system.
The impact
- Reduced greenhouse gas emissions, while generating a green energy revenue stream
- 24/7 operations monitored remotely through a smartphone
- 96% uptime of facility at 100% load in first year of operation