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Nanaimo landfill being used to produce energy |
NANAIMO -- Up to 1.5 megawatts of electricity -- enough to power about 1,200 homes -- is expected to be generated from the 25,000 tonnes of
waste gas produced annually at the Cedar landfill.
The Regional District of Nanaimo has sold emission rights to the gas
to Cedar Road LFG, and the project is expected to get underway in
June.
The gas the landfill produces is currently collected in a number of
wells and trenches and then pumped to flare stations to be burned in
the atmosphere to curtail odours.
Methane is 21 times more harmful to the environment than carbon
dioxide, so the regional district, which operates the landfill, sees
the plan as a positive step in its efforts to be as
environmentally-friendly as possible while helping to fill Vancouver
Island's growing energy needs.
Carey McIver, the district's solid waste manager, said Cedar Road LFG
had originally planned to have the facility in place and operating by
this month, but the company has received an extension until June.
She said the extension was needed because B.C. Hydro isn't issuing a
new call for power from private producers until the new year.
"The [district] has also agreed to extend the terms of the agreement
with the company to sell the gas from 10 to 20 years because B.C.
Hydro requires 20-year power-purchasing contracts from private
producers," McIver said.
She said no money from the regional district will be used in the
project.
http://www.canada.com/victoriatimescolonist/news/business/story.html?id=81c6e66a-351c-454a-a97c-69c38bb24e91
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