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 Documents,
Tools and Resources
Clean Fuels Facility
Driving to a Cleaner Environment
Innovation is the key to success, as the project developers at the
Sanitation Districts of Los Angeles County (Districts) have demonstrated.
In 1994, the Districts started the country's only operating facility that
converts landfill gas to a clean alternative vehicle fuel.
At the Clean Fuels Facility in Whittier, California, landfill gas is
compressed to produce enough fuel per day to run a 11-vehicle fleet ranging
from passenger vans to large on-road tractors. The Clean Fuels project
not only benefits the environment, it also has improved the public's perception
of landfills. "People love the concept of today's trash trucks being fueled
by yesterday's trash," states John Cosulich of the Districts. This project
has truly set the stage for the development of new, innovative landfill
gas recovery projects.
In the 1980's the Districts began collecting landfill gas at Puente
Hills Landfill, one of the largest landfills in the country, to reduce
air emissions and limit gas migration through the soil. At first, the
gas was used for an electricity production facility. When the Districts
found they consistently had excess gas, they decided to expand their landfill
gas-to-energy project. They chose the Clean Fuels project because of its
potentially beneficial economics and the added benefit of supplying an
alternative vehicle fuel source to the community.
Design of the Clean Fuels facility is very similar to most natural gas
compression facilities. Wells that are situated deep within the landfill
are used to provide the high-quality gas needed for the conversion to
vehicle fuel. This landfill gas is purified through semi-permeable membranes,
which remove carbon dioxide and water vapor. The equipment is designed
for automatic operation outdoors, so the gas is dewatered, purified, and
pressurized with minimal maintenance. The purified gas, referred to as
compressed natural gas, is now suitable for use as a substitute for gasoline
or diesel fuel.
The Clean Fuels facility was funded solely by the Districts. However,
many agencies contributed to the vehicle demonstration program, including
the South Coast Air Quality Management District, Southern California Gas,
California Energy Commission, and California Department of Transportation.
This project offers a host of environmental and economic benefits to
both Los Angeles and the global community. The project is also a model
to the landfill gas industry, due to the innovation of using landfill
gas as vehicle fuel.
"The project has reduced emissions of greenhouse gases and helped decrease
our dependence on foreign oil. Using landfill gas for fuel is an opportunity
to win all around, and we've proven the project is successful," explains
Cosulich. The gas is not just used to fuel vehicles, it is also transported
to another landfill site for use as a supplemental fuel for its boilers.
By using landfill gas instead of flaring it, and by fueling vehicles with
compressed natural gas instead of gasoline, the Districts realized a significant
decrease in nitrous oxide (NOx) emissions. This benefit is of particular
value in Los Angeles, an area that suffers from high levels of NOx-induced
smog.
Powering landfill equipment and refuse trucks with compressed natural
gas has the added benefit of proximity — fuel does not have to be
hauled in from offsite, and visiting refuse trucks can re-fuel as part
of their stop at the landfill.
The success of this project rests on the demonstration of the technology.
Now that one landfill gas-to-vehicle fuel project has demonstrated its
success, other clean fuel projects can take off. Future projects that
have a larger vehicle fleet will not only reduce more emissions, but may
also prove economically beneficial.
Since the news of the project's success reached the Los Angeles landfill
industry, new projects have seemed to jump out of the woodwork. The Districts
have received grants from a discretionary fund administered by the South
Coast Air Quality Management District to assist in converting refuse trucks,
heavy-duty water trucks, refuse transfer vehicles, and commuter vans to
compressed natural gas. Future plans also include conversion of heavy-duty
landfill equipment to compressed natural gas.
Summary of Benefits
- Innovative Technology: Vehicle Fuel
- Significantly Lower Vehicle Emissions
- 11 Vehicles Powered by Landfill Gas Fuel
Lessons Learned
- Develop a schedule. Be aware of the time constraints
and requirements of all of the involved parties; some integral parts
of the project may hinge on the action of a single individual.
- Teamwork is the key to success in any landfill
gas-to-energy project. Cooperation from people involved in every aspect
of the project is critical.
What Is Landfill Gas?
Most of the waste we generate ends up in landfills,
where it decomposes and produces landfill gas. Landfill gas released
into the air smells bad, contributes to local smog, and is an explosion
hazard. Additionally, landfill gas is about 50 percent methane,
a potent greenhouse gas that contributes to global climate change.
However, this methane is also a reliable and renewable fuel source
that, if not collected, goes to waste. |
The Landfill Methane Outreach Program (LMOP) is a voluntary Program
that assists project developers, utilities, landfill owners and operators,
energy users, and communities in encouraging new landfill gas-to- energy
projects. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has developed a variety
of tools (i.e., profiles, fact sheets, project development manuals, software,
etc.) to facilitate the development of landfill gas-to-energy projects.
Hundreds of landfills across the country are good candidates for a landfill
gas-to-energy project. To find out more, please contact LMOP.
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