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Sunday, September 28, 2008 9:05 PM EDT
From trash can to the light bulb
By Kip Doyle
Olean Times Herald
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| Kip Doyle/Olean Times Herald
Hyland Landfill manager Jerry Hagan stands next to one of the three 2,400 horse power Caterpillar diesel engines that are converting methane from the landfill into as much as 48,000 kilowatts of energy daily. The energy is being sold into the state power grid. The new carbon neutral energy plant will hold a ribbon cutting on Oct. 3. |
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ANGELICA - Hyland Landfill will cut the ribbon on its new carbon neutral energy plant Friday, recognizing a new era of capturing energy from trash.
Local political and business leaders have been invited to the 2 p.m. event at the landfill, 6653 Herdman Road.
The energy plant, which is already up and running, is one of about 20 being developed in New York state.
Jerry Leone, a regional engineer at Casella Waste Systems Inc., which owns the landfill, said the 600-acre Hyland Landfill is capable of producing 48,000 kilowatts of electricity daily.
"After two-and-a-half years, we were finally able to work through a tremendous amount of challenges and complete this project," Mr. Leone said of the $11 million project.
Three 2,400 horse power Caterpillar diesel engines, converted to run on methane produced by decomposing trash buried in the landfill, are pumping out enough energy to power 4,000 households, Mr. Leone said.
Because of the way the state power system operates, the power generated at Hyland Landfill won't be used locally. It will be delivered to the state power grid and then redistributed.
But Angelica will benefit in several ways, Mr. Leone said.
Hyland Landfill funded the upgrade of power lines and electrical transmission systems around the town, which will "increase system reliability of electricity delivery," he said.
"The plant is now reducing congestion and losses within RGE's (Rochester Gas and Electric) system," he said.
Mr. Leone said he has had conversations with the Allegany County Industrial Development Agency about attracting industries to take advantage of the heat and carbon dioxide being produced as byproducts of the energy production.
Industries that could take advantage of the heat range from businesses that dry wood to greenhouses, he said.
Carbon dioxide can also be used in greenhouses, in the production of dry ice, and in the beverage industry, he said.
"We have already created two jobs, and hired right from the local area," he said. "Over time, we will add more engines and create another job."
"If we could attract another business or third party, we could help create that many more," he said.
Hyland Landfill manager Jerry Hagan said that less than 70 acres of the landfill, which occupies a former farm, are actually being used for the storage of garbage. There is plenty of space for a neighboring business, or several.
Mr. Leone said green energy projects like wind power and landfill gas energy plants are the key to long term, sustainable energy in the Southern Tier.
"Now we have an opportunity to turn the landfill into a low emissions model, and we have the technology to ensure long term capture of gas, including monitoring and sensing equipment that has not been used ever before," Mr. Leone said.
The landfill will accept garbage for another 23 years and continue to emit a steady amount of methane for 20 years after its closure, Mr. Leone said.
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