"By developing this project with PPL Renewable Energy, the Moretown Landfill creates a beneficial use for a naturally occurring byproduct of our waste management operations and reduces greenhouse gas emissions"
Frank E. Celli, chief operating officer of Highstar Waste Holding Corp
Allentown, Pa., US: PPL Renewable Energy, a subsidiary of PPL Corporation (NYSE: PPL), will develop and install a 4.8-megawatt landfill gas power generation system at the Moretown Landfill in Moretown, Vt., the company announced earlier this month.
Moretown Landfill, a subsidiary of Highstar Waste Holding Corp., will provide 2.4 million cubic feet of methane gas every day to power Caterpillar generators to be installed at the 200-acre facility.
Methane-to-energy systems at landfills have a dual benefit for the environment, they generate electricity from renewable landfill gas while also significantly reducing emissions of methane, a greenhouse gas that is over twenty times more potent than carbon dioxide. Methane is created under the anaerobic conditions found in landfill sites.
The power plant is expected to be operational by Dec. 31, 2008 and the company says that it will invest at least $100 million in additional renewable energy projects in the next five years.
PPL Renewable Energy develops, owns, operates and maintains renewable energy projects in the north eastern United States.
The power generated by the facility will be sent to the electricity grid and will power the equivalent of 3,000 homes in the US.
PPL Corporation controls more than 11,000 megawatts of generating capacity in the United States, sells energy in key U.S. markets and delivers electricity to about 4 million customers in Pennsylvania and the United Kingdom, according to the company.
PPL Renewable Energy already has developed renewable energy projects that total more than 15 megawatts of generation — enough to power 12,000 homes. These include solar panel installations and landfill gas projects in Pennsylvania and New Jersey.
The company says that it purchases energy from the 24-megawatt Bear Creek wind farm near Wilkes-Barre, Pa., and the 26-megawatt Locust Ridge project in Mahanoy City, Pa.
It is also developing other projects including new solar, landfill gas, wind and biomass.
Frank E. Celli, chief operating officer of Highstar Waste Holding Corp said:
“This project is consistent with our company’s vision of being the best possible partner to all of our constituencies, local communities, customers, employees and shareholders. By developing this project with PPL Renewable Energy, the Moretown Landfill creates a beneficial use for a naturally occurring byproduct of our waste management operations and reduces greenhouse gas emissions.”
Steve Gabrielle, business development manager for PPL Renewable Energy:
“We’re excited to be partnering with HWHC on this project that captures a valuable fuel that would otherwise be wasted and uses it to generate electricity. When completed, this plant will prevent the equivalent of 29,000 tons of carbon dioxide emissions each year. That’s equal to removing 40,000 cars from the road or planting 57,000 acres of new forest.”
Further information
PPL
Further information can be found at the PPL web site.
HWHC
HWHC is the largest privately held vertically integrated solid waste company in the northeastern U.S. HWHC is based in Sloatsburg, N.Y., and controls over 3,400 tons per day of nonhazardous solid waste through its collection operations and transfer stations.
The company owns or operates 12 transfer stations and five state-of-the-art landfills with operations in New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Massachusetts and Vermont.
HWHC is majority owned by funds managed by AIG Highstar Capital (Highstar), a private equity management team sponsored by AIG Investments. Highstar seeks investment opportunities in infrastructure-related businesses with growth and value enhancement opportunities.
In addition to its investments in solid waste management, Highstar has invested in natural gas transmission and storage, power generation, waste-to-energy, water and waste water utilities, and marine port assets and operations. The Highstar Funds are based in New York City and Houston.
[This article is an adaptation of an original news release from the PPL Corporation. The image used is Crown © 2007]