"This award signifies that SECCRA is a leader in responsible environmental stewardship and the development of green energy"
Richard Cairns, SECCRA Chairman
WASHINGTON: The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency honored the Southeastern Chester County Refuse Authority (SECCRA) on Wednesday with a "Project of the Year" award for its successful effort to turn landfill gas into usable electric power.
SECCRA Chairman Richard Cairns received the award at the EPA's 11th annual Landfill Methane Outreach Program Conference and Project Expo at the Hyatt Regency on Capitol Hill.
The company launched SECCRA Power last January to utilize landfill gas as a fuel to generate approaching 1 megawatt of electricity, sufficient to power about 500 homes and saving the equivalent 27,000 tons of coal per year. This is an important contribution to mitigating climate change.
The gas results from degradation of waste materials at SECCRA’s own landfill and the electricity produced is sold to the PJM power grid.
SECCRA’s initial investment in the power facility was $3.2 million which was helped by a $500,000 start-up grant from the Pennsylvania Energy Development Agency (PEDA). The start-up grant included installation of a gas-collection system in the landfill, a generator that runs on landfill gas, a power line connection to the PJM grid, and an electronic monitoring system.
Following the success of the initial development stage, SECCRA announced plans last October to add a second generator. This will produce an additional 8.8 million kilowatt-hours of electricity per year. A further investment of $750,000 is being made which includes a second PEDA grant of $250,000. The second generator is scheduled to be operational by the middle of 2008.
SECCRA says that revenue from the sale of electricity and renewable energy credits will recoup the investment in around four years and subsequently that will help hold down the cost of waste disposal for local residents.
Richard Cairns said:
"This is a singular honor for our authority and our 24 member municipalities. Our board and our staff take pride in a forward-thinking attitude and a steadfast commitment to serving our communities. This award signifies that SECCRA is a leader in responsible environmental stewardship and the development of green energy.
"By collecting and using the methane gas generated by waste in the landfill we are reducing the load of greenhouse gas that goes into the atmosphere. By turning the gas into useful electricity we are offsetting the use of fossil fuels and creating value that didn't exist before. On all fronts this is a win-win project.”
The chairman noted that support from the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection was a key element in the gas-to-energy project's success.
Further information
SECCRA is a non-profit municipal authority with a publicly appointed board of directors that provides solid waste disposal and recycling for about 90,000 residents in 24 boroughs and townships in the southern third of Chester County.
[This article is adapted from a press release from PRNewswire-USNewswire with an original source of the Southeastern Chester County Refuse Authority.]