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Mayor Hickenlooper & Waste Management Break Ground for Landfill Gas-to-Energy Plant
July 11, 2007
Denver Plant Only One in Colorado.
(DENVER) Denver Mayor John Hickenlooper and Waste Management broke ground today for Colorado's only methane-to-energy plant that will convert landfill gases into enough energy for 3,000 homes.
The methane plant, which is being constructed at the Denver Arapahoe Disposal Site (DADS) near Hampden Avenue & Gun Club Road in Arapahoe County, will produce 3.2 megawatts of electricity.
"This project demonstrates what Denver's Greenprint Initiative is all about - the plant is public-private partnership that will produce renewable energy for Xcel Energy customers and reduce greenhouse gas emissions," said Mayor Hickenlooper.
"This is one of 60 renewable energy facilities that Waste Management is building across the country over the next five years, and together with its existing LFGTE facilities, WM will generate more than 700 megawatts of clean renewable energy - enough to power 700,000 homes or replace over eight million barrels of oil per year," said Steve Derus, plant manager. "The plant represents a great partnership between the City and County of Denver, Xcel Energy and Waste Management of Colorado," he added.
The City & County of Denver is providing landfill gas containing methane for the project, Waste Management will construct, own and operate the plant and Xcel Energy will purchase the electricity produced from the project. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Tri-County Health Department and Colorado Department of Public Health & Environment worked closely with the partnership to help the project come to fruition.
Landfill gas is produced from the normal decomposition process. It is half methane, half carbon dioxide and has about half the heating value of natural gas. DADS is one of the largest landfills in the country and because of its size, there is the potential the plant will be expanded and could operate for many decades.
Approximately 1,200 cubic feet per minute of landfill gas is generated at the Denver site. Currently, the gas is "flared' or burned off to meet air quality standards, but soon will be put to beneficial use to produce alternative energy. Converting the gas to energy will also reduce greenhouse gas and other air pollution emissions.
Construction on the plant is expected to be complete in the fall and will go online by the beginning of 2008.
Media Contacts
Ellen Dumm, Communications Director
Denver Department of Environmental Health
(720) 865-5429
