FirmGreen Projects

Landfill Gas to CNG Fueling Operation

FirmGreen, Inc. (FGI) developed the high Btu landfill gas utilization project near Columbus, Ohio in a public-private partnership with the Solid Waste Authority of Central Ohio (SWACO).

The facility collects and cleans raw landfill gas (methane) using CO2 Wash®, a patented technology developed in Ohio by Acrion Technologies. The cleaned methane is then converted into ‘green’ compressed natural gas (gCNG™) for use in CNG powered cars and medium duty trucks.  gCNG™ is FirmGreen’s trademarked brand name for Compressed Natural Gas from renewable recourses such as landfill gas and biomass.  It is a remarkable Biofuel that does not require food resources to produce.

Given SWACO’s plan to fuel its vehicles with CNG derived from a portion of the processed LFG, it was essential that the resulting BioMethane be pure enough to meet OEM specification for CNG fuel. The ability of the CO2 Wash to accomplish this goal was a significant factor in selection of the technology for the project.

Construction of the Green Energy Center (GEC) commenced in July 2006. The facility utilizes a CO2 Wash unit to process 300scfm of LFG into ultra-pure medium Btu methane that powers a 250kW microturbine to generate electricity for the facility, and high Btu methane for use as vehicle fuel for SWACO vehicles. The high Btu methane is compressed on site, and then piped to above-ground CNG storage tanks. The CNG is then dispensed at a fueling station located adjacent to the building that houses the LFG processing equipment.

Projecting a production of 685 GGE for 330 days per year; depreciating capital and operational cost over 20 years, the estimated production cost per GGE would be approximately $1.84 per GGE.

SWACO currently owns two CNG powered vehicles: a Honda Civic GX and a medium duty pick up truck converted to CNG. SWACO expects to convert four pick up trucks to bi-fuel during 2008, and have four additional trucks converted during 2009. SWACO will also purchase a dedicated CNG front-load refuse vehicle. Other municipal fleets plan to fuel with BioMethane derived from the landfill.

Accomplishments of the Project

The GEC proves the technical and economic feasibility of utilizing CO2 Wash as the technology platform for a smaller scale high Btu landfill gas project. The project has accomplished its goals with a technology and facilities design that:

• is self-sustaining; generates enough electricity for its own operations with a microturbine powered by a portion of the cleaned LFG
• creates a flexible business model that can sell electricity to the grid, produce vehicle quality fuel and/or pipeline quality natural gas
• demonstrates that smaller landfill operations have a viable LFG utilization option that not only improves air quality at the site, but can provide a stable, long term source of alternative fuel for their fleet operations that is cleaner than the fossil-based fuel it replaces, produced at an economically competitive cost
• enables SWACO to respond effectively to national environmental policy mandates with respect to waste utilization, greenhouse gas reduction, and fleet emission standards with a single project.